Mateo Aguado: Tailor to the Court of Philip IV

About this episode

The dresses worn by members of Spain’s royal family are indelible features of Diego Velázquez’s famous paintings, but what is the story of the creation of these remarkable fashions? In this episode, Prof. Amanda Wunder, author of Spanish Fashion in the Age of Velázquez: A Tailor at the Court of Philip IV, tells us the story of Mateo Aguado, the tailor for the queens of King Philip IV’s court and the artisan behind many of the striking fashions of Spain’s Golden Age. We discuss many aspects of Aguado’s life and career, including the process of royal dressmaking and the evolving political implications of his creations.