Juan de Pareja

Key facts

Lived

1610–1670, Spanish

Movement

• Baroque

1. 1630Working in Velazquez's Madrid studio in his twenties as an assistant, grinding pigments and preparing canvases. Spanish law at the time prohibited enslaved people from practising art, yet Pareja painted secretly.
2. 1650Velazquez painted his celebrated portrait of Pareja in Rome, when Pareja was approximately 44. The painting, now at the Metropolitan Museum, was exhibited at the Pantheon to wide acclaim before Velazquez's papal portrait.
3. 1654Granted his freedom by Velazquez in Rome at the age of about 48. The manumission document stipulated a four-year conditional period before full legal independence.
4. 1661Produced "The Calling of Saint Matthew" as a free man in Madrid, around the age of 55. The painting demonstrated his command of complex multi-figure composition and dramatic lighting.
5. 1670Died in Madrid aged approximately 64. Though few of his independent works survive, his story has become emblematic of artistic talent persisting against the cruelties of enslavement.

• What is Juan de Pareja's most famous work?+

  While Juan de Pareja was a painter himself, he is best known as the subject of a portrait by Diego Velázquez. Velázquez's portrait of Juan de Pareja was likely painted in either 1649 or early 1650. The portrait may have been a preparation for Velázquez's portrait of Innocent X. According to some accounts, Velázquez sent Pareja to the houses of Rome's elite, carrying the portrait as a sample of Velázquez's abilities. The portrait was publicly exhibited at the Pantheon's portico on 19 May 1650, alongside works by other artists living in Rome, during the annual show for the feast of Saint Joseph. The painting is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Some have suggested that Pareja prepared the pigments for his own portrait. Pareja received his freedom in Rome in the autumn of 1650 and continued to work with Velázquez until Velázquez's death ten years later.
• What should I know about Juan de Pareja's prints?+

  Juan de Pareja (circa 1608-1670) was of Moorish descent and worked as Diego Velázquez's assistant from the 1630s. His duties included grinding pigments, priming canvases, and making copies of paintings. Pareja was also a painter in his own right. Velázquez painted a portrait of Juan de Pareja in Rome, likely in 1649 or early 1650. Tradition suggests it served as preparation for Velázquez's portrait of Innocent X. The portrait of Pareja was exhibited publicly at the Pantheon's portico on 19 May 1650, during the annual show for the feast of Saint Joseph. Prior to this, Velázquez may have sent Pareja with the portrait to the homes of Rome's elite, as a demonstration of his skill. Velázquez's portrait captures Pareja with dignity and vitality. The painting later became the most expensive portrait in history when it was sold in 1971. Pareja received his freedom in Rome in the autumn of 1650, but he continued to work with Velázquez until the latter's death a decade later.
• What style or movement did Juan de Pareja belong to?+

  Juan de Pareja is associated with the Baroque style, which dominated much of Europe during the 17th century. The Baroque emerged from Rome and spread through Catholic countries; it was resisted in Protestant ones such as Holland and Britain. The Baroque developed, in part, from religious tensions in Europe and was intended to promote Catholicism. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) determined that religious art should encourage piety through realism, accuracy, and directness. The style is characterised by drama, emotion, and strong tonal contrasts. Baroque artists aimed to interpret subjects clearly and realistically. They often portrayed ordinary people as models, moving away from idealised figures. Pareja was active in the mid-17th century, during the height of the Baroque period. He is best known for being the assistant of Diego Velázquez, a leading Spanish Baroque painter. Velázquez painted a portrait of Pareja in 1649 or early 1650. It was exhibited in Rome in May 1650, and it was very well received.
• What techniques or materials did Juan de Pareja use?+

  Details regarding Juan de Pareja's specific artistic techniques are scarce. However, information about the practices of his contemporaries, such as Diego Velázquez, and the general painting methods of the period provide some insight. Velázquez, like other artists of the time, prepared canvases with a dark brown ground, applied using a palette knife. He then blocked in the main composition with bristle brushes before developing the colours with softer brushes. Fine pointed brushes, perhaps made of ermine or stoat hair, were used for small details. Velázquez likely mixed his pigments with linseed oil, using a thicker medium only for highlights. The workshops of the period contained easels, planks to support works in progress, and materials for preparing paints. Artists often employed assistants for tasks such as cleaning, preparing materials, and working on backgrounds. The use of natural light was important, with north-facing rooms on upper floors being preferred. Multiple works were often underway simultaneously, as layers of oil paint required considerable drying time.
• What was Juan de Pareja known for?+

  Juan de Pareja (died 1670) was a Spanish painter of Moorish descent. He is also known for being the assistant, and slave, of Diego Velázquez. He ground pigments, prepared canvases, and made studio copies for Velázquez from the 1630s. Velázquez painted Pareja's portrait around 1649-1650, possibly as preparation for his portrait of Innocent X. The portrait was displayed in the portico of the Pantheon in Rome in 1650, during the annual exhibition for the feast of Saint Joseph. According to Palomino, Velázquez sent Pareja to the houses of Rome's elite, carrying the portrait as a sample of his abilities. Pareja received his freedom in Rome in the autumn of 1650, but he continued to work with Velázquez until the latter's death ten years later. Pareja was also a painter in his own right. He was considered worthy of inclusion in Palomino's *Lives and Works of the Most Eminent Spanish Artists*, alongside Velázquez himself.
• When did Juan de Pareja live and work?+

  Juan de Pareja was an assistant to Diego Velázquez, and also a painter himself. He was of Moorish descent, and is known to have worked with Velázquez from the 1630s. He ground pigments, prepared canvases, and made copies in Velázquez's studio. One of the copies he produced was once mistaken for an original work. Velázquez painted a portrait of Juan de Pareja around 1649 or early 1650. It was displayed publicly at the Pantheon in Rome in May 1650. Some believe that Velázquez sent Pareja to the homes of Rome's elite, carrying his own portrait, as a demonstration of Velázquez's skill. Pareja was granted his freedom in Rome in the autumn of 1650, but continued to work with Velázquez for another ten years, until Velázquez's death.
• When was juan de pareja freed?+

  Velazquez granted Juan de Pareja his freedom in November 1650.
• Where can I see Juan de Pareja's work?+

  One can view Juan de Pareja's work in several locations. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City holds the portrait of Juan de Pareja painted by Diego Velázquez, his assistant and slave. This work was likely created around 1649 or early 1650, around the same time as Velázquez's portrait of Innocent X. According to historical accounts, Velázquez displayed the portrait in the portico of the Pantheon on 19 May 1650, during the annual exhibition for the feast of Saint Joseph. Prior to this public display, Velázquez may have sent Pareja to the homes of Rome's elite with the portrait, as a demonstration of his skill as a portrait painter. The painting is considered an exceptional display of Velázquez's talent, capturing Pareja with dignity and vitality.
• Where is juan de pareja from?+

  Juan de Pareja was Spain, born in 1610 and died in 1670.
• Where was Juan de Pareja from?+

  Juan de Pareja was of Moorish descent. He worked with Diego Velázquez from the 1630s. His duties included grinding pigments, priming canvases, and making studio copies. Velázquez painted Pareja's portrait during a stay in Rome. It may have been painted in 1649 or early 1650. Tradition holds that Velázquez created it in preparation for his portrait of Innocent X. The portrait of Pareja may have been a challenge to Velázquez's Italian contemporaries. In May 1650, Velázquez exhibited the portrait in the portico of the Pantheon, along with works by other artists living in Rome. According to Palomino, Velázquez sent Pareja to display the portrait to Rome's social elite, as a sample of his skill. Pareja received his freedom in Rome in the autumn of 1650. He chose to continue working with Velázquez until Velázquez's death ten years later.
• Who did Juan de Pareja influence?+

  Juan de Pareja is best known today as the subject of a portrait by Diego Velázquez, painted in 1650. Pareja was of Moorish descent and worked in Velázquez's studio from the 1630s. His duties included grinding pigments, priming canvases, and making studio copies. He was also a gifted painter. According to Palomino's *Lives and Works of the Most Eminent Spanish Artists*, Pareja was as worthy of inclusion as Velázquez himself. Velázquez's artistic origins are complex. Although he apprenticed with Francisco Pacheco, Pacheco's style seems to have had little influence. Some scholars suggest that Juan Bautista Maíno may have played a role in Velázquez's early development, particularly in his turn toward a Caravaggio-influenced style. Velázquez may also have been inspired by Juan Sánchez Cotán, an innovator of still life painting in Spain. Cotán's *Quince, Cabbage, Melon, and Cucumber* (circa 1600) shares characteristics with Velázquez's *An Old Woman Cooking Eggs*.
• Who influenced Juan de Pareja?+

  Juan de Pareja was part of a broad movement toward naturalism that occurred first in Italy, and then in Spain, during the years of his artistic formation. Seville was a great commercial centre; paintings and prints arrived there from all over Europe, including works by artists influenced by Caravaggio. The question of whether Caravaggio was known directly in Seville, however, cannot be answered with any certainty. Pacheco mentions the presence of a copy after the Crucifixion of St Peter, but scholars have not been able to locate the painting. According to Giulio Mancini, an early-seventeenth-century Italian source, Caravaggio may have sent some of his paintings to Seville in thanks for care he received in hospital, thus raising the possibility that some early originals made their way to Seville during the artist’s own lifetime. Ribera’s work could also have been a factor.