Head of a Man 1616

Diego Velázquez painted this oil on canvas, Head of a Man, at an unknown date. It is likely this was produced in Seville, Spain. Velázquez was trained in the studio of Francisco Pacheco, an artist and teacher who was committed to the Counter-Reformation. His sitters were typically drawn from the religious orders. This work shows how he learned from Pacheco to depict realistic heads and faces. Velázquez’s early work shows the influence of Caravaggio, whose work was known in Spain through prints and from paintings brought from Italy. To fully understand the art of this period, we need to look at the influence of religious institutions on artistic patronage and training. Art historians use inventories and other archival documents to trace the provenance of paintings. These provide crucial information about the cultural forces that shaped art production.