The front cover of this issue shows a portrait of Ferdinand VI as a child, painted by the French artist Jean Ranc (1674-1735), which hangs in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
The son of a painter, Ranc embarked on his artistic career at the age of 23 in Paris, where he became court painter under the tutelage of Hyacinthe Rigaud.
During his early period, Ranc painted numerous portraits of the royal family and members of the aristocracy.
His subjects are depicted with attributes and symbols borrowed from antiquity.
