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Don Gaspar de Guzmán (1587–1645), Count-Duke of Olivares

ca. 1636 or later
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 625

The Count-Duke of Olivares was Philip IV’s powerful prime minister between 1621 and 1643. This picture is either a preliminary model or a reduced variant of a large equestrian portrait of the count-duke (Prado, Madrid), painted perhaps in celebration of a victory over the French at the border town of Fuenterrabía in 1638. In full armor and holding a baton, he is shown as a victorious commander. His horse holds a dressage position known as a levade.


The count-duke of Olivares was Philip IV’s powerful prime minister between 1621 and 1643. Around 1635, Velázquez produced a monumental, life-size portrait of him on horseback, today in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. Based on that composition, Velázquez’s son-in-law and pupil, Mazo, produced this version on a reduced scale. It is one of Mazo’s most accomplished paintings and attests to the importance of Velázquez’s workshop in solidifying political and social power through the circulation of portraits.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Don Gaspar de Guzmán (1587–1645), Count-Duke of Olivares
  • Artist: Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo (Spanish, Cuenca ca. 1612–1667 Madrid)
  • Date: ca. 1636 or later
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 50 1/4 x 41 in. (127.6 x 104.1 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1952
  • Object Number: 52.125
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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