Don Manuel Osorio de Zuniga
1787 Metropolitan Museum of Art
About this artwork
This life-sized portrait depicts the young son of the Count and Countess of Altamira dressed in a vibrant red suit. It is noted for its masterful handling of light and the symbolic, somewhat unsettling inclusion of predatory animals.
Did you know?
The painting is widely analyzed for its eerie symbolism, as the child stands between the playful cats and the captured birds, representing the fragility of innocence. The magpie, which holds Goya's calling card in its beak, is tethered to the boy, suggesting a controlled yet precarious relationship between the child and the natural world.
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Don Manuel Osorio de Zuniga
Francisco Goya, 1787
