Prince Balthasar Charles with a Dwarf

Prince Balthasar Charles With a Dwarf is a 1631 portrait by Diego Velázquez of Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias and a court dwarf. It is now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It is the first of several portraits Velázquez painted of the young prince.[1]

Prince Balthasar Charles With a Dwarf
Spanish: El príncipe Baltasar Carlos con un enano
ArtistDiego Velázquez
Year1631
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions128 cm × 102 cm (50 in × 40 in)
LocationMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston

The prince is shown in the uniform of a captain-general (adapted to his infant state but still including a commander's baton in his right hand, a shoulder sash and a sword hilt in his left hand). The dwarf holds an apple and a rattle, to contrast with the heir to the most powerful monarchy in Europe, who is shown as already in military training and not needing these usual children's attributes. The prince's static posture, in contrast to the dynamism of the dwarf's figure, turning to contemplate the prince, has caused some art historians to think that the painting was originally only of the prince, with the dwarf added later.

References
  1. Carr, Dawson W., Xavier Bray, and Diego Velázquez (2006). Velázquez. London: National Gallery. p. 170. ISBN 1857093038.


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