Who was Juan De Pareja?
Juan de Pareja was a multiracial Spanish painter. Born in Antequera, he gained notoriety as Diego Velazquez’s slave until 1654. He rose to prominence with the ‘Portrait of Juan De Pareja’ made by Velazquez. He is mostly known for ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ (The Vocation of Saint Matthew) (1661), currently exhibited at Madrid’s Museo del Prado.
He has been the subject of numerous exhibitions, most importantly, ‘Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, co-curated by Vanessa K. Valdés and David Pullins.
Early Beginnings of Juan de Pareja
The exact date of Pareja’s conception and demise is still unknown. However, it is said that he was born sometime around 1608-1610. A Spaniard, he was born into slavery in Southern Spain in Antequera, Malaga province. The information about his parents is still unknown. Spanish painter, Antonio Palomino characterizes him as a Morisco (a convert from Islam).
Juan de Pareja is credited as a painter in a letter dated May 12, 1630, written to Pedro Galindo, Seville’s attorney, asking for permission to relocate to Madrid so that he and his brother Jusepe could pursue their education.
Juan de Pareja Velazquez
Although it is still unknown when he started serving Diego Velázquez, he worked at his studio and home. During his employment, he would prime and stretch canvases, grind pigments, carve big wood blocks, and perform other preparatory work. Since Velázquez was the king’s favourite portrait artist, Juan de Pareja lived in the court with Spain’s nobles. He also travelled with Velázquez which expanded his visual language and taught him art history lessons.
Artist Diego Velázquez created ‘Portrait of Juan de Pareja,’ which is now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. This portrait unmistakably depicts him as a “Black” man (although some documents refer to him as Hispanic). The painting was displayed in the Pantheon of Rome in March 1650. On 23 November 1650 (or 1651), Diego Velázquez liberated Juan de Pareja from his enslavement, as established by the manumission document discovered by Jennifer Montagu.
Juan de Pareja Painting Themes
Paintings by Juan de Pareja are mostly known for the grand motifs of flora and religious scenes, such as the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt, Christ’s baptism, and the Virgin Mary surrounded by cherubs at the moment of her immaculate conception.
Juan de Pareja Paintings
Soon after emancipation, Juan de Pareja delved into painting and art. He worked as an independent painter until he died in Madrid. During his time with Velazquez, he had picked up Spanish and Italian painting styles, which he employed in his art. However, paintings by Juan de Pareja still share a conspicuous relation to artist Diego Velazquez’s style. Let’s take a look at a few of his popular paintings.
1. Calling of St Matthews
In his most popular painting, ‘The Calling of Saint Matthews,’ Juan de Pareja included a self-portrait at the left edge, in which the subject is holding a piece of paper bearing his name. It depicts Pareja in a 3/4 view with his head turned toward the observer and his eyes expressionless. Pareja shows himself with a straighter nose and slightly lighter skin.
In a biblical story of conversion, his self-portrait, with a piece of paper bearing his signature at the far left, depicts a Jewish tax collector named Levi, who would later become Saint Matthew, on the verge of accepting Christ’s call to give up material wealth. Here, Juan de Pareja has fully integrated into the urban, Catholic, and modern art scene. A likely portrait of his fellow painter Jose Antolinez stands beside him. Pareja has portrayed numerous facial features and still-life components, such as the metalwork, the carpet, and the clothes with bravura brushwork.
2. The Flight Into Egypt
This Juan de Pareja painting deals with the Holy Family’s flight to safety. It all began with the announcement of the birth of a new Jewish king, which alarmed Herod, the King of Judea. He tried to get rid of the baby Jesus by directing the killing of all male children under two to secure his own rule. However, in a dream, God guided Joseph to escape into Egypt with his family, protecting his son. Matthew likened this incident to the killing of male Israelite infants during Moses’ birth.
In this painting, a clutch of putti floats amidst the swirling clouds at the top. The figures underneath are illuminated by a bright light. Mary rides a donkey under the guidance of an angel while holding Christ. Joseph follows, carrying their belongings in a bundle over his shoulder. Here, Juan de Pareja has dressed Mary and Joseph in more modern than biblical attire. A classical temple rises on a hill in the distance. In this Juan de Pareja painting, the style of artist Diego Velazquez is almost invisible. For this, he drew inspiration for his compositions and brushwork from 16th century Italian artists, particularly Titian.
Image Courtesy – Wikipedia
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