Velazquez Paintings: Juan de Pareja

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Velazquez Paintings: Juan de Pareja

Posted by Susan Benford

An art history blog post from Famous Paintings Reviewed.

While Juan de Pareja isn't one of the most famous Velazquez paintings (I'd vote Surrender at Breda for that category), it is one of the most poignant. And it's one of the art paintings I pay homage to when I'm in New York City -- I need to confirm every visit that it still mesmerizes me. Velazquez delivered again.

When Velazquez (1599-1660) created this art painting in 1650, he had been court painter to Philip IV of Spain for over three decades. This was the Golden Age of Spanish painting, and Velazquez was the foremost Spanish painter of this outstanding velazquez juan de pareja era in art history. Like other famous painters of the 17th century, he travelled to Rome, the cultural center of Europe, to study classical works of art and to

Diego Velazquez. Juan de Pareja, 1648. Oil on canvas, 32" by 27 1/2". Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Purchase, Fletcher Fund, Rogers Fund, and Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton deGroot.

observe what contemporary painters were creating. He was dispatched by the King on a buying trip, and was also granted permission to paint a portrait of Pope Innocent X.

But it seems Velazquez arrived before the reputation of Velazquez paintings did - the Pope left him waiting. In the interim, Velazquez painted Juan de Pareja (ca. 1610-1670), his assistant and servant from Seville. Juan is shown half-length, turned at a three-quarter view but gazing intently at the viewer. His lace collar is so thin and feathery it looks as if it just freshly landed; the folds and creases in his jacket are dense and well-worn. But it's the hole in the sleeve that lures me back - despite the elegance of the pose and painting, that simple tear belies his grandeur, telling us unequivocally that this is a lower class man, Velazquez portrait and all.

In his book, Life of Velazquez, Antonio Palomino (1655-1726) described public reaction to this art painting upon its exhibition at the Pantheon in 1650. Juan Pareja, he reports, "was generally applauded by all the painters from different countries, who said that the other pictures in the show were art but this one alone was 'truth.'" Perhaps that is what prompted Pope Innocent X to proceed with his portrait from Velazquez, shown below.

I think Juan got the better deal, hole and all.

velazquez pope innocent x

Diego Velazquez. Pope Innocent X, ca. 1650. Oil on canvas, 55 1/8" by 47 1/4". Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome.

Tags: art history, art paintings, Velazquez, Velazquez paintings

Comments

Three years ago we read I Juan de Pareja (Penguin Classics...I believe). It was a great read-aloud as we were studying history beginning with the 14-1800's. We enjoyed studying Velasquez and his paintings. My favorite is and always will be, Las Meninas. However, this painting of Juan de Pareja is great! We are currently in Spain...a beautiful country. The people are very helpful, the food is good, and where we currently are is picturesque. To say the least, we are having a wonderful time!

Posted @ Thursday, October 14, 2010 4:11 PM by Grace

Grace,

Count me as jealous, and appreciative of your comment! Have a great rest of your trip. Susan

Posted @ Thursday, October 14, 2010 4:49 PM by Susan Benford

Phillippe de Montebello, former curator of the Met, did a wonderful video comparing a late Rembrandt self portrait with Juan. I think it was titled Two faces of the 17th Century. If you can find it, I think you'll enjoy it. You can then go to the Met and see both.

Posted @ Thursday, October 14, 2010 5:49 PM by Brian Buckley

Brian,

Another wonderful insight from you -- thanks! With the wonder of Google, I discovered it's called 'Two Faces of the 17th Century: Rembrandt and Velazquez.' It costs $20, and here's the link:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Kl-5clMhiCgJ:reframecollection.org/films/film%3FId%3D1617+Phillippe+de+Montebello+%2B+juan+de+pareja+%2B+rembrandt&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Posted @ Friday, October 15, 2010 2:46 PM by Susan Benford

Congratulations! Your post was selected to be included in the November issue of the Art History Carnival. I really enjoyed reading this post, especially your discussion of Pareja's torn sleeve.

Keep up the good work!

http://albertis-window.blogspot.com/2010/11/november-issue-of-art-history-carnival.html

Posted @ Monday, November 01, 2010 9:25 AM by Alberti's Window

Starting at about page 249 of his autobiography, Making the Mummies Dance, Thomas Hoving tells a hilarious story about the Met's acquisition of the Juan de Pareja portrait.

Posted @ Monday, November 01, 2010 11:08 PM by David Byron

Susan,

The same as you, I visit this painting whenever I go to the MMA. (I live in New Jersey, so go to NYC too often to pay homage every trip.) The experience at the MMA regarding Velazquez is always a dizzying one for me, for my El Greco's 'View Of Toledo' is in the preceding gallery, and I spend time there, and then round the corner and encounter this magnificent portrait of a resilient, proud Pareja. It always constitutes the best hour of my day.

Posted @ Monday, November 29, 2010 8:37 AM by John

John,

I'm delighted to know you, too, are a fan of Juan Pareja! Oddly, this famous paintings isn't often listed in art history books as one of Velazquez's greatest.

I've recently learned about "Stendhal's Syndrome", also known as "Florence Syndrome", in which viewers of art experience increased palpitation and occasional dizziness when viewing famous artwork. Some Italian researchers last summer were investigating whether this phenomenon happens (Sure hope so, because i KNOW my heartrate accelerates when I see beloved works!). Here's a link to that article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/7914746/Scientists-investigate-Stendhal-Syndrome-fainting-caused-by-great-art.html

Susan

Posted @ Tuesday, November 30, 2010 11:50 AM by Susan Benford

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Velazquez Paintings: Juan de Pareja

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