Portrait of the Jester Calabazas

Portrait of the Jester Calabazas
Artist
Diego Velázquez
Year
ca. 1631–32
Medium
Oil on canvas
CC0 Cleveland Museum of Art

Diego Velázquez’s intimate portrait of the court jester Calabazas, painted during the artist’s second period in Madrid. The painting reveals Velázquez’s extraordinary ability to capture the dignity of his subjects, rendered with loose, confident brushwork and a masterful handling of light.