Portrait of the Jester Calabazas

Velázquez painted the jester Calabazas around c. 1631–32. The jester’s real name was Juan de Calabazas, also known as El Bufón Calabacillas. Oil on canvas.

The jester Calabazas was a fixture at the court of Philip IV of Spain. Velázquez painted several jesters, providing them with dignity akin to that given to royalty.

The Cleveland portrait is one of two known paintings of Calabazas by Velázquez. The other resides in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Velázquez was a leading Spanish Baroque painter, working primarily for the court of Philip IV. He painted many portraits, including those of jesters, often with great respect.

Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, https://clevelandart.org/art/1965.15

https://oolf.net/open-art/velazquez-portrait-of-the-jester-calabazas/