Francisco Goya
Sebastion de Morra, “El Primo” (the cousin) after Diego Velázquez, 1778
etching
17” x 14”
FrGoy002
Copyright The Artist
This copy of a painting by Velazquez – one of Goya's acknowledged masters – depicts Sebastian de Morra. At court in Renaissance and Baroque Europe, it was customary for monarchs to “collect” jesters and dwarves for their amusement. Although deprived of the dignity of a chair, Morra looks anything but submissive, and regards the viewer critically.