Don Juan Mateos (d.1643)
1634
Diego Velázquez paints Don Juan Mateos, the royal Master of the Hunt for King Philip IV of Spain, looking like he just stepped out of the shadows. Dressed almost entirely in black, his weathered face and direct, slightly weary gaze tell the story of a man who spent his life outdoors managing the king's hunting parties. Velázquez was famous for stripping away the flattery typical of royal portraits, giving us a raw, honest look at a 17th-century court official instead of a polished statue.
Location: Museo del Prado, Madrid