Juan de Pareja (ca. 1608–1670)
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
32 x 27 1/2 in. (81.3 x 69.9 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Fletcher and Rogers Funds, and Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot (1876-1967), by exchange, supplemented by gifts from friends of the Museum, 1971
Accession Number
1971.86
Tags
Art Historical Context
Diego Velázquez's *Juan de Pareja* (1650) is a stunning oil-on-canvas portrait that exemplifies the Spanish master's unparalleled skill in capturing human presence. Measuring 32 x 27½ inches, this Baroque gem depicts Juan de Pareja, Vel's trusted assistant and a man of African descent, with a direct gaze and subtle modeling that conveys quiet dignity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's European Paintings department, it reflects Velázquez's tenure as court painter to Philip IV during Spain's Golden Age. Painted on the eve of Velázquez's second Italian journey, the work showcases his revol...