Baltasar Carlos on horseback, after Velázquez

Description

Baltasar Carlos on horseback brings royal ceremony and youthful energy together in Francisco Goya’s 1778 etching after Velázquez. The young prince sits upright on a rearing horse, wearing a broad hat and an elaborate sash. His composed expression contrasts with the animal’s raised forelegs, flowing mane and powerful movement.

Goya translates the equestrian portrait into a delicate network of lines, balancing richly described costume and tack with an expansive, lightly worked sky. The distant hills create a quiet setting for the animated central figure. The engraved inscription beneath the scene identifies the royal subject and acknowledges both Velázquez’s painting and Goya’s interpretation, adding another layer to this meeting of two Spanish masters.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Goya collection.