The ''Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares'' is a 1624 portrait by

Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptized June 6, 1599August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of th ...

(

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

, June 6, 1599

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, August 6 1660), the most celebrated painter of the

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. It is housed in the

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History and characteristics of the painting

The man in the portrait is Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel, Count-Duke of Olivares, (

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, January 6, 1587 Toro, July 22, 1645), a Spanish politician and nobleman, Count of Olivares and Duke of Sanlucar la Mayor, a favorite of King Philip IV. The precise date the painting was finished is not known, however the painter took fees for his work on December 4, 1624. The painting shows the Count-Duke standing with his left hand on the hilt of his sword, resting his right hand on a table from where a hat emerges, which in turn rests on a velvet carpet. The sitter wears a sober black coat, with the symbols of his power, a gold chain with large links, gold spurs, and the Red Cross of the

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, noting the importance, power and seriousness of character. Also noteworthy is the huge neck bust with flat plate in comparison with the smaller size of the head, which creates an interesting visual impact.

Bibliography

* ''El conde-duque de Olivares'', by John H. Elliott. * ''El Conde-Duque de Olivares. La pasión de mandar''.

Gregorio Marañón Gregorio Marañón y Posadillo, OWL (19 May 1887 in Madrid – 27 March 1960 in Madrid) was a Spanish physician, scientist, historian, writer and philosopher. He married Dolores Moya in 1911, and they had four children (Carmen, Belén, María ...

, (1936), reedited by Espasa, Madrid, 2006. * ''Yo,conde-Duque de Olivares. El arte de lo imposible''.

Eduardo Chamorro Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male given name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Eduardo Bonvallet, Chilean football player and sports commentator * Eduardo Carvalho, Portuguese footb ...

, (1989), edited by Planeta DeAgostini, 1992. Portraits by Diego Velázquez Portraits of men Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares 17th-century portraits Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares {{17C-painting-stub