Portrait of Sebastián de Morra [SEP] country of origin
Portrait of Sebastián de Morra
The Portrait of Sebastián de Morra is a painting by Diego Velázquez of Sebastian de Morra, a court dwarf and jester at the court of Philip IV of Spain. It was painted around 1644 and is now in the Prado in Madrid. Not much is documented about De Morra's life, other than the fact that he was brought to Spain by Phillip IV in 1643 and served the court for three years before his death in 1649. It wasn't until Velázquez became a court painter that he
and respect. The portraits were intended to be displayed in the king's hunting lodge, the Torre de la Parada.
Don Diego de Acedo was a figure of fun whose physical deformity provided entertainment for the court. As with another subject, "Portrait of Sebastián de Morra", Velázquez pictured de Acedo's whole body seated on the ground.
Don Diego de Acedo is pictured looking at the observer. Dressed in black, he is reading a book, which is the traditional representation of a gentleman. The size