Court of Philip IV · painted portraits especially between 1632 and 1645

In his portraits of jesters and men of pleasure, Velázquez loosens royal protocol to confront the viewer with named, complex and pictorially sovereign individuals.

The court of Philip IV employed jesters, dwarves and so-called pleasure men in a highly hierarchical system. They entertained the royal family, sometimes accompanied their movements and constituted an authorized counterpoint to etiquette. Appointed painter to the king in 1623, Diego Velázquez represented them on several occasions, especially in the 1630s and 1640s. These paintings did not remove the ambiguity of their condition: the models remained linked to a social function imposed by the court. However, Velázquez grants them an individual presence which radically distinguishes his portraits. Don Diego de Acedo, nicknamed the Cousin, appears with book and inkwell, attributes which invite us to question its intellectual or administrative role. Pablo de Valladolid stands in an almost empty space; his acting gesture is enough to create the floor and the stage. Calabacillas presents an impossible expression and posture in the codified royal portrait. Barbarossa and Don Juan of Austria carry theatrical identities drawn from historical figures, between costume, parody and personal affirmation. The freedom of the brush accompanies this relative freedom of representation. Dissolved contours, indeterminate backgrounds, quick touches and precisely chosen accessories give the impression of a captured presence rather than a fixed rank. These works have had a profound impact the history of portraiture, notably Manet. A faithful reproduction must avoid caricature: it must preserve the dignity of the model, the nuance of the look, the economy of the decor and the free material which makes the figure breathe. The selection "Bouffons de Diego Velázquez" notably compares Le Bouffon don Diego de Acedo, the cousin - Velázquez and Le Bouffon Calabacillas - Velázquez. His reading favors movement.

Velazquez does not remove his models from the court system, but he gives them what protocol rarely reserves for the margins: a pictorial space where their presence is sufficient.