English
Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga (1784–1792)
Outfitted in a splendid red costume, the son of the count and countess of Altamira is shown between a cage of finches and three wide-eyed cats who appear captivated by the boy’s pet magpie. In its beak the magpie holds Goya’s calling card and signature. Goya may have intended this cast of animals as a reminder of the frail boundaries that separate the child’s world from the forces of evil, or as a commentary on the fleeting nature of innocence and youth. Manuel died only a few years after his portrait was painted, at the age of eight.
Artwork Details
- Title: Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga (1784–1792)
- Artist: Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) (Spanish, Fuendetodos 1746–1828 Bordeaux)
- Date: 1787–88
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 50 x 40 in. (127 x 101.6 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: The Jules Bache Collection, 1949
- Object Number: 49.7.41
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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5110. Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga (1784–1792)
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