Portrait of Sebastián de Morra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Portrait of Sebastián de Morra
Sebastián de Morra sitting on the ground against a plain background gives the portrait a psychoanalysis of De Morra's resentment of his own nature.
Artist	Diego Velázquez
Year	c. 1644
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	106.5 cm × 81.5 cm (41.9 in × 32.1 in)
Location	Museo del Prado, Madrid

The Portrait of Sebastián de Morra is a painting by Diego Velázquez of Sebastián de Morra, a court dwarf and jester at the court of Philip IV of Spain. It was painted around 1644 and is now in the Prado in Madrid. Not much is documented about De Morra's life, other than the fact that he was brought to Spain by Phillip IV in 1643 and served the court for three years before his death in 1649. It was not until Velázquez became a court painter that he showed dwarfs with a warmer and naturalistic style compared to previous paintings. De Morra looks directly at the viewer, motionless, making no hand gestures, leading one critic to suggest that the painting represents a denunciation of the court's treatment of de Morra and other dwarfs. Recently discovered inventories and previous documents relating to De Morra reveal that he was also known by a nickname, El Primo.

Subject

Don Sebastián de Morra

Sebastián de Morra was acquired by King Phillip IV in 1643 from his younger brother Cardinal Infante Fernando. He was then given over to Prince Baltasar Carlos until the prince's death sometime after. De Morra's job was to keep the prince entertained with humor. Following the death of Prince Carlos, De Morra died in October 1649 after 3 years of service to the court. An analysis of the canvases on which portraits of De Morra and Phillip IV were painted, conducted by the Thread Count Automation Project, lead to the conclusion that they were both painted from the same piece of cloth. This conclusion revealed that De Morra's portrait was painted in Fraga, along with Philip's portrait.

Court dwarfs

Known as sabandijas, 'little serpents', court jester dwarfs were employed by kings as far back as the medieval period. Being either born with a deformity or deformed on purpose at the time of birth, court jesters became slaves to the royal court and family. Because they were seen as entertainment, dwarfs were no longer painted as symbolic figures and instead with a realistic style. Since dwarfs were so prominent in court life, they were also included in paintings with multiple figures. Previous Spanish court painters before Velázquez painted dwarfs with coldness & carelessness, since dwarfs were seen as human pets. Dwarfs were also painted with extreme stiffness and disdain for them was also visible in their portraits. Court dwarfs were portrayed in paintings as the property of their masters, being summoned back and forth at their master's request. Typically, dwarfs were painted as being obedient and as under the ownership of their masters by placing their hands on the dwarf's head. Dwarfs were seen as only one class higher than animals status-wise. Dwarfs were often painted holding an animal of some kind when with their masters. However, dwarfs with artistic or literature abilities were spared from having to train and play with animals. Art historian Enriqueta Harris stated that Velázquez's paintings of dwarfs did not belong in the same space as classical paintings that he had done as well. However, Catherine Closet-Crane, author of a critical essay about Velázquez's dwarf portraits, states that the portraits were in fact meant to be seen with other Velázquez portraits. She even discusses that the portraits could also be seen alongside some of Rubens's portraits, such as of philosophers Democritus and Heraclitus. Dwarfs were commonly painted from the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries, but their prominence in art declined afterwards.

Artist

Work as court painter

Diego Velázquez was born on 1599 in Seville, Spain where he carried out his painting career until he eventually moved to Madrid at age 24. Diego Velázquez's naturalistic style was one of Spain's first introduction to the Caravaggio style that was sweeping across Europe. Velázquez was soon employed as the court painter to Philip IV of Spain in 1628 (age 29). During his time as court painter, Velázquez's work focused mainly on paintings for royal apartments and the court. Diego Velázquez's first piece for King Phillip IV was when he was hired to paint his portrait by the Count Duke of Olivares. A court painter's job was to depict the royal family and the court in a positive light. Velázquez's painting so impressed King Phillip that he hired Velasquez as the chamber's painter, with administrative duties being among a few of the other jobs he also held in the palace. Velázquez is known for having completed at least ten dwarf portraits. These paintings are on display in the Prado in Madrid.

See also

In Spanish: El bufón el Primo para niños

• List of works by Diego Velázquez