Velazquez Water Carrier of Seville
Artist: Diego Velazquez (Spanish b. 1599 d. 1660)
Date: 1619
Dimensions: 41.5 x 31.5”
Medium: oil on canvas
Current location: Wellington Museum, London
Period: Baroque
Genre: genre painting

Quick Notes:
  • Velazquez was influenced by Caravaggio. Giving water to the thirsty is one of the seven
    acts of mercy in Christian doctrine. Caravaggio had depicted the seven acts in a famous
    painting with which Velazquez was familiar.
  • In his early works such as this one (Velazquez was only 20 years old when he painted it),
    Velazquez demonstrates his prodigious skills for naturalistic painting. Notice the distinctly
    different and accurate textures of the two ceramic vessels and the drinking glass.
    Velazquez uses a more painterly, lively brushstroke for the drapery.
  • The dark background is another sign of Caravaggio’s influence.
  • The painting depicts a humble water seller who would walk the hot streets hawking his
    wares. In this scene, he offers to give the young man on the left a sample to prove the
    purity of the water. The painting contrasts the youthful customer with the aged water
    carrier and the glossy glass with the rustic ceramic containers.

Suggested Compare-Contrast Target:
  • Cezanne, Still Life with Peppermint Bottle


Writing Prompts:
  • What is the didactic message or meaning of this painting?
  • What texture or material does Velazquez paint most accurately? Explain.


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