Felipe de Guevara

The Spanish historian Felipe de Guevara is shown writing a letter and holding a pair of spectacles. His fur mantle and the cross on his tunic suggest his status and religious faith. Scholars and artists, like de Guevara and Vermeyen, were employed by the Habsburg rulers of Flanders and Spain. The letter on Guevara’s desk refers to his service at the Habsburg court in Brussels and includes the painting’s date.