Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga (1784–1792)
1787-88
Francisco de Goya painted this striking portrait of a young Spanish count, Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga, dressed in a vibrant red suit and holding a string tied to a magpie. The bird is busy pecking at a tiny card bearing the artist's name, while three cats lurk in the shadows behind him, staring intensely at the bird and a nearby cage of finches. Sadly, the child died at just eight years old, leading many to interpret the predatory cats as a haunting symbol of life's fragility. You can visit this masterpiece today at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Material
- Canvas
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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