Juan Pantoja de La Cruz
(1555-1608)

Think that you may own a painting by Juan Pantoja de La Cruz? We authenticate, appraise, research and issue Certificates of Authenticity (COA) and provide consultations for all paintings by Juan Pantoja de La Cruz.

Juan Pantoja de La Cruz is one of most well known Spanish court painters. Pantoja worked with royalty on a regular basis and painted portraits of both Philip II and Philip III. Many of Pantoja’s paintings are now in Madrid’s Museo del Prado.

Pantoja was born in Valladolid, Spain where he spent the majority of his childhood years. As a young man, Pantoja moved to Madrid to work under the court painter, Alonso Sánchez Coello. Through this apprenticeship, Pantoja gained valuable experience working alongside a master court painter. In 1585, after a long period of training, Pantoja began to receive commissions from the court. A few years later, Coello died, leaving Pantoja to take his place as the master painter. Pantoja took control of the workshop during the reign of Philip II, who formalized Pantoja’s position of court painter in 1598.

During Pantoja’s career he painted portraits of Philip II and Prince Philip (Philip III) and the Spanish Queen (Margarita of Austria). Pantoja traveled with the royal family to Valladolid, Burgos, Lerma and the Escorial. A number of Pantoja’s paintings and frescoes have been destroyed throughout the centuries.

Pantoja is generally classified as a Mannerist painter, but includes Baroque elements in many of his paintings. Pantoja was often commissioned to make religious, mythological, landscape, still life, animal and historical paintings in addition to portraits.

The paintings of Juan Pantoja de La Cruz are extremely valuable for their historic content. Pantoja’s paintings are now in Museo del Prado, among other major Spanish collections. Do you think you own a painting by Juan Pantoja de La Cruz? Contact us. We are the experts.