Juan de Pareja: from Diego Velázquez’s slave to distinguished artist

Very interesting. I remember reading (I think it was in the book Debt) about ancient Greece and its slaves, with lots of similar stories.

Apparently slaves there were not considered inferior, anyone could end up in that situation. For example, the often lauded Epictetus was a slave.

Who would of guessed that this was a much more common occurrence that happened to other enslaved people in 17th century Spain and the ways in which art and slavery intersected during that period.

It wasn’t unusual to be born into slavery or sold into slavery owned by a master who may have been a painter , and the slave end up learning from the master. Juan de pareja had a similar story where he was born into slavery in the 17th century but later gained his freedom and became a successful artist in his own right.

The article focuses on an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City that showcases Pareja's work alongside that of his master and mentor, the famous Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. The exhibition explores the complex relationship between the two men and the ways in which Pareja's experiences as a slave may have influenced his art.

Fingers and hands. They are difficult.