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Primary sourcePainting1792

Portrait of Sebastián Martínez y Pérez

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes · 1792

An oil portrait by Goya of a Cádiz merchant and art patron, painted in 1792, showing his mature portrait style.

Goya painted this portrait of his patron and friend, showing his standing among art patrons in his mature career.

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Oil painting of a seated man with powdered white hair in a striped blue-gray coat, yellow breeches, and white cravat. He holds a blue sheet of paper with handwriting and rests on a wooden chair against a dark olive background.
Francisco Goya, Portrait of Sebastián Martínez y Pérez, 1792. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This oil-on-canvas portrait was painted by Francisco Goya in 1792. It shows Sebastián Martínez y Pérez, a merchant and patron of the arts from Cádiz. The painting is held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Martínez was a patron who supported artists, and this portrait reflects the close relationships Goya built with wealthy clients during his mature career. The detail of his clothing and the handwritten paper he holds point to his status and interests, giving a glimpse of the world of educated, prosperous men in Goya's Spain.

Look closer

  • What does the paper he holds, with its handwriting, suggest about his character or profession?
  • How does Goya use clothing and setting to show the sitter's status?
  • Why might a merchant want a formal portrait like this one?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Francisco Goya on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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