The Duke and Duchess of Osuna and their Children by Francisco Goya

The Duke and Duchess of Osuna and their Children by Francisco Goya Travel photography Family-friendly: true

1787-1788. Oil on unlined canvas, 225 x 174 cm.

A portrait of the Duke of Osuna, Pedro Téllez Girón (1755-1807); his wife, the Countess-Duchess of Benavente, Josefa Alonso de Pimentel (1752-1834) and their four children: Francisco de Borja (1785-1820), the following Duke of Osuna; Pedro de Alcántara (1786-1851), the future Prince of Anglona; Maria Manuela (1783-1838) and Joaquina (1784-1851), the future Marchioness of Santa Cruz. As exemplary enlightened aristocrats of their time, the Duke and Duchess of Osuna were among Goya's first protectors. Their closeness to the painter is clear in how intimately each is portrayed, with a perfect of individualization of each personality within the family group. The painter uses grayish and greenish tones with a light, subtle and precise technique, masterfully rendering the fabrics, lace and objects. Family portraits were practically unknown in Spain when this one was made, and it is thought that Goya make have drawn his compositional models from Flemish or English examples.