Gallery Label In 1917, the German scholar August Mayer argued that this arresting picture is a self-portrait of Velázquez. The idea was based on the observation that the same figure appears in the painter's great "Surrender of Breda" (1634–35; Museo del Prado, Madrid) and the widespread belief, current at the time, that that figure was a self-portrait. Cleaning of the painting has confirmed Mayer's attribution. By contrast, the identity of the sitter is uncertain. It has rightly been questioned whether Velázquez would have been permitted to introduce his portrait into a picture as important as the "Surrender of Breda," which illustrates a historical event and was destined to decorate a royal residence. Would he not have had to procure official permission? And knowing what we do about notions of decorum and hierarchy at the court of Philip IV, would permission have been granted?
Notes The picture has a complicated history. In 1917 August Mayer argued that it was a self-portrait by Velázquez dating to the mid-1630s (see Additional Views for a photograph from Ref. Mayer 1917); he reiterated this view in 1926, after seeing the picture in a cleaned state. The argument rests on the presence of the same sitter on the right-hand side of "The Surrender of Breda." However, no documents support this identification and the only certain self-portraits are later in date: in the Museo de Bellas Artes, Valencia, and the Museo del Prado, Madrid (in "Las Meninas"). In the 1950s the attribution of the picture to Velázquez was questioned and in 1979 the Museum changed its attribution to workshop of Velázquez. What was not recognized was the degree to which a thick, discolored varnish and over-fastidious restoration camouflaged the real qualities of the picture. A cleaning and restoration undertaken in the summer of 2009 revealed an autograph picture of high quality. This is an informal portrait rather than a highly finished work, with the head brought to a higher degree of finish than the torso and pale gray background.
Provenance Johann Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Wallmoden-Gimborn (until d. 1811); his son, Ludwig Georg Thedel, Feld-Marschall Graf von Wallmoden-Gimborn (1811–18; sold to Hausmann); David Bernhard Hausmann, Hanover (1818–57; cat., 1831, no. 257; sold to George V); George V, King of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale (1857–d. 1878; cat., 1857, no. 257); his son, Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale (1878–d. 1923; on loan to the Provinzial-Museum, Hanover; cats., 1891, no. 581, 1905, no. 469); his son, Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1923–25); [Leo Blumenreich, Berlin, 1925; sold to Duveen]; [Duveen, Paris, London, and New York, 1925–26; sold for $225,000 to Bache]; Jules S. Bache, New York (1926–d. 1944; his estate, 1944–49; cats., 1929, unnumbered; 1937, no. 43; 1943, no. 42)
Exhibition History New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Spanish Paintings from El Greco to Goya," February 17–April 1, 1928, no. 63 (as a self-portrait by Velázquez, lent by Jules S. Bache).
Brooklyn Museum. "Exhibition of Spanish Painting," October 4–31, 1935, no. 54 (as a self-portrait by Velázquez, lent by Jules Bache).
New York. World's Fair. "Masterpieces of Art: European Paintings and Sculpture from 1300–1800," May–October 1939, no. 395 (as a self-portrait by Velázquez, lent by the Jules S. Bache collection).
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Bache Collection," June 16–September 30, 1943, no. 42.
Tokyo National Museum. "Treasured Masterpieces of The Metropolitan Museum of Art," August 10–October 1, 1972, no. 77.
Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art. "Treasured Masterpieces of The Metropolitan Museum of Art," October 8–November 26, 1972, no. 77.
Leningrad [St. Petersburg]. State Hermitage Museum. "100 Paintings from the Metropolitan Museum," May 22–July 27, 1975, no. 31.
Moscow. State Pushkin Museum. "100 Paintings from the Metropolitan Museum," August 28–November 2, 1975, no. 31.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Velázquez Rediscovered," November 17, 2009–February 7, 2010, no catalogue.
References Verzeichniss der Gräflich-Wallmodenschen Gemälde-Sammlung, welche am 1 Sept. des laufenden Jahres und im den folgenden wochen zu Hannover meistbietend verkauft werden soll . Hanover, 1818, p. 14, no. 43, as a portrait of a man, allegedly by Van Dyck; states in the foreword that the collection was put together by the deceased Duke of Wallmoden-Gimborn [i.e., Johann Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Wallmoden-Gimborn (1736–1811)].Verzeichniss der Hausmann'schen Gemählde-Sammlung in Hannover . Braunschweig, 1831, p. VI n. 5, p. 129, no. 257, lists it as a portrait of a man by Van Dyck; includes it among works he acquired at the Wallmoden sale in 1818.Verzeichniss der von Seiner Majestät dem Könige angekauften Hausmann'schen Gemälde-Sammlung in Hannover . Hanover, 1857, p. 28, no. 257, as a self-portrait by Velázquez.Deutscher Bildersaal . 2, Berlin, 1864, p. 702, no. 23, lists it as a self-portrait by Velázquez from his best period; erroneously as still in the Hausmann collection.in Katalog der zum Ressort der Königlichen Verwaltungs-Kommission gehörigen Sammlung . . . im Provinzial-Museumsgebäude . . . zu Hannover . Hanover, 1891, p. 214, no. 581, calls it a portrait of Velázquez and attributes it to an unknown Flemish painter of the first half of the seventeenth century, possibly Gaspar de Crayer (1584–1669); notes that it was formerly attributed to Velázquez himself.Katalog der zur Fideikommiss-Galerie des Gesamthauses Braunschweig und Lüneburg . . . im Provinzial-Museum . Hanover, 1905, p. 146, no. 469, Reimers adds to the text of Ref. Eisenmann 1891 that he would like to consider it by a Spanish master.Zeitschrift für Bildende Kunst 29 (November 1917), pp. 65–66, ill., describes it as a self-portrait by Velázquez from about 1635; reports that it was recognized as a Velázquez by the British art connoisseur Sir Hugh Hume Campbell in 1854, by H. Farrer in 1855, and by Mr. Smith in 1856; discusses areas of pentimenti, especially around the head, and states "One certainly cannot add this portrait to the happiest creations of Velasquez, but it reveals the Master everywhere"; mentions similarities with a Velázquez portrait of an unknown man at Apsley House, Wellington Museum, London [Ref. López-Rey 1963, no. 550] and with the "known self-portraits" at the Museo Capitolino, Pinacoteca, Rome [Ref. López-Rey 1963, no. 484], the Museo Provincial, Valencia [Ref. López-Rey 1963, no. 176], and contained within "Las Meninas" (Prado, Madrid), and lastly, with a supposed self-portrait depicted as the soldier on the right-hand side of "The Surrender of Breda" (Prado).Diego Velazquez . Berlin, 1924, p. 31 n., calls it a self-portrait by Mazo.Velazquez: Des Meisters Gemälde . Stuttgart, [1925], p. 284, as neither representing Velázquez nor painted by him.Art in America 14 (April 1926), pp. 100–102, ill., notes that a recent cleaning of the painting confirms his belief that it is a self-portrait by Velázquez; repeats his argument for a connection with the artist's portrait of a man (Apsley House, London) and in particular, with the self-portrait contained in "The Surrender of Breda" (Prado); suggests that the MMA picture may, in fact, be an original study for this figure of a soldier.American Magazine of Art 19 (April 1928), p. 182, mentions it as a self-portrait, dated about 1634.La Renaissance 11 (May 1928), p. 190–91, ill., dates it about 1634 and calls it a self-portrait painted by Velázquez.Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 23 (February 1928), p. 42, ill. on cover, calls it "a practically unknown work" that depicts Velázquez at age 35.International Studio 90 (May–August 1928), p. 39, ill. p. 41.A Catalogue of Paintings in the Collection of Jules S. Bache . New York, 1929, unpaginated, ill.Art News 27 (April 27, 1929), pp. 4, 17, ill., calls it a self-portrait by Velázquez of about 1635.American Magazine of Art 21 (May 1930), p. 258.Diego Velazquez und sein Jahrhundert . [Zürich], 1933, no. 148, pl. 137, calls it a self-portrait but lists it among paintings from the workshop and attributed to Velázquez.Art Digest 10 (October 1, 1935), pp. 5–6, ill.Velazquez: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Pictures and Drawings . London, 1936, pp. 41–42, no. 170, pl. 71, lists it as "Self-portrait (?)" and dates it about 1633–34; remarks that he once thought this picture was a self-portrait by Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo, but that he now believes it is "too good" to be by Mazo; concludes that if the right-hand soldier in "The Surrender of Breda" is indeed a self-portrait by Velázquez, as suggested to him by Juan Allende-Salazar, then this picture, which it closely resembles, must also be a self-portrait.A Catalogue of Paintings in the Bache Collection . under revision. New York, 1937, unpaginated, no. 43, ill.Velazquez: Gesamtwiedergabe seiner Gemälde . London, 1939, p. 242, no. 148, pl. 137, lists it as a self-portrait by Velázquez.Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture from 1300–1800: Masterpieces of Art . Exh. cat., World's Fair. New York, 1939, p. 193, no. 395.Masterpieces of Art: Exhibition at the New York World's Fair 1939, Official Souvenir Guide and Picture Book . New York, 1939, p. 12, no. 79, ill.Duveen Pictures in Public Collections of America . New York, 1941, unpaginated, no. 229, ill., remarks that the picture was first recognized as a self-portrait by Velázquez in 1854, while in the Hausmann collection, Hannover, by Sir Hugh Hume Campbell, and in 1856 this was reconfirmed by Henry Farrer, "both well-known art authorities of their day".The Enjoyment of Art in America . Philadelphia, 1942, p. 469, pl. 421.A Catalogue of Paintings in the Bache Collection . rev. ed. New York, 1943, unpaginated, no. 42, ill.Art Digest 17 (July 1, 1943), p. 19, ill. p. 6.Art News 42 (June–July 1943), p. 25.Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 1 (June 1943), p. 290, describes it as "Velazquez's fascinatingly introspective Self-Portrait".The J. S. Bache Collection . [after 1943], pp. 10, 36.Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 12, part 2 (January 1954), p. 4.La vida y la obra de Velázquez: Estudio biográfico y crítico . Madrid, 1955, p. 103, observes a resemblance to the supposed self-portrait in "The Surrender of Breda" but doubts that the MMA picture is by Velázquez since it lacks the artist's rich subtlety and frankness of execution.Diego Velazquez . [Munich], [1957], p. 13, believes the self-portraits of the artist at about age 40, such as the present work, are all copies; claims that the close relationship between this picture and the supposed self-portrait in "The Surrender of Breda" provides evidence that a similar portrait of a young man dated about 1628 (Neue Pinakothek, Munich) is also a self-portrait.Velázquez: A Catalogue Raisonné of His Oeuvre . London, 1963, pp. 183–84, no. 181, pl. 233, calls it a "so-called self-portrait" and a "school piece rather close to Velázquez's manner"; remarks upon the resemblance between this picture and the head of the soldier in "The Surrender of Breda," and states that the latter has been variously identified as a self-portrait or a portrait of Mazo.Velázquez . Madrid, 1964, vol. 2, pp. 686–88, ill., believes it may be by Velázquez and is perhaps a study for a more substantial self-portrait; remarks that the physiognomy is frank and, as is typical in Velázquez's self-portraits, the features are noble to the point of arrogance, but the picture conveys great human depth.Connoisseur 159 (July 1965), p. 165, identifies the figure at the right in "The Surrender of Breda" as a self-portrait, based upon a comparison of the nose with that in an anonymous portrait of the young Velázquez, assumed to be a copy of a self-portrait (Palacio Episcopal, Granada); believes the MMA portrait and the figure in "The Surrender of Breda" represent the same sitter but has not examined the MMA picture closely enough to judge its authenticity.Velázquez . Cologne, 1996, vol. 2, p. 234.Letter to Dulce Roman . April 27, 1997, observes that this picture is "directly related to Velázquez" and adds that he does not think it can be attributed to Alonso Cano.Duveen: A Life in Art . New York, 2004, p. 497, notes change of title and attribution from "Self-Portrait" to "Portrait of a Gentleman" and Workshop of Velázquez.in Velázquez Rediscovered . New York, 2009, pp. 10–15, fig. 9 (color detail), on seeing the painting after its recent cleaning, enthusiastically ascribes it to Velázquez; believes that it does depict the same individual included at the right in the "Surrender of Breda," referring to the MMA painting as a "preliminary study" for that figure, but rejects his identification as Velázquez.in Velázquez Rediscovered . New York, 2009, pp. 6–9, 23, figs. 1 (color), 2 (from Ref. Mayer 1917), 3 (from Ref. Mayer 1926), 19 (color, in MMA Paintings Conservation studio), ill. on cover (color detail), discusses the attribution history of the picture.in Velázquez Rediscovered . New York, 2009, pp. 16–22, figs. 10 (color, before cleaning), 11 (color, after cleaning and restoration), 12 (x-radiograph), 13–16 (color details), discusses his cleaning and restoration of the picture in summer 2009, and describes Velázquez's working method in creating the painting.Ars Magazine 3 (January–March 2010), pp. 56–63, 146–48, ill. (color, overall and details) [reprint of Ref. Brown 2009].Ars Magazine 3 (January–March 2010), pp. 64–69, 148–49, ill. (color, overall and detail; color, in MMA Paintings Conservation studio, before cleaning, and after cleaning and restoration; overall from Ref. Mayer 1917 and Ref. Mayer 1926; x-radiograph) [reprint of Ref. Gallagher 2009].
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