Juan Carreño de Miranda (1614–1685) was a leading Spanish Baroque painter and one of the defining portraitists of the Habsburg court in Madrid. Born in Avilés, he trained in the capital and rose through a competitive artistic world shaped by the legacy of Velázquez. Carreño developed a style that paired sober realism with a confident, painterly handling of fabric, flesh, and light—ideal for the ceremonial demands of royal imagery. He worked on religious and decorative commissions, but his lasting impact lies in court portraiture, where he captured the textures of power—lace, armor, velvet, and insignia—while preserving a sense of human presence beneath the pageantry. In 1671 he was appointed Pintor de Cámara (court painter) to King Charles II, becoming responsible for images that projected dignity and continuity during a period of political strain. His portraits helped shape how late Habsburg Spain wished to be seen: formal, authoritative, and enduring. Carreño died in Madrid, leaving a legacy that influenced later Spanish portrait traditions.