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Portrait of the court dwarf known as el Primo, after Velázquez

1778
Not on view
Velázquez’s painted portraits of court jesters convey profound insight to their personalities. In 1644 the entertainer known as El Primo accompanied King Philip IV to Aragon, where he sat for Velázquez. In his etching based on that work, Goya accentuates the intensity of the sitter's gaze; the dark background created by a dense network of lines serves to project his figure toward the viewer. Here, El Primo appears altogether more assertive, even confrontational—subtle differences intentionally introduced by Goya that make his interpretation distinct.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of the court dwarf known as el Primo, after Velázquez
  • Artist: Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) (Spanish, Fuendetodos 1746–1828 Bordeaux)
  • Artist: After Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez) (Spanish, Seville 1599–1660 Madrid)
  • Date: 1778
  • Medium: Etching
  • Dimensions: Plate: 8 3/16 × 5 7/8 in. (20.8 × 14.9 cm)
    Sheet: 16 x 11 7/16 in. (40.7 x 29 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Henry Walters, by exchange, 1931
  • Object Number: 31.31.14
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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Rapier, Steel, blade, Spanish, Toledo; hilt, European, possibly Spanish
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blade, ca. 1635; hilt, late 17th century
Nocturne: Palaces, James McNeill Whistler American, Etching and drypoint; printed in dark brown ink on drum mounted medium weight ivory laid paper.
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Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga (1784–1792), Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) Spanish, Oil on canvas
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