Bust of King Philip II of Spain

This half-length portrait of Philip II is the work of Alonso Sánchez Coello, court painter to John III of Portugal, then Philip II of Spain. Alonso Sánchez was a student of Anthonis Mor. His portrait of Philip II is a variant of a painting in the Prado by Sofonisba Anguissola, formerly also attributed to Sánchez Coello.

Philip II, also known as Philip the Prudent, was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 until he died in 1598. His four marriages to Maria of Portugal, Mary I of England, Elisabeth of Valois, and Anna of Austria corresponded to political goals. Spain reached the peak of its power under Philip II.

The portrait represents the king in Spanish court attire with the Order of the Golden Fleece. In the Prado painting, dated 1573, the sitter's hands with a rosary in his left can also be seen.