Acquisition debuts Indy museum

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (NWPR) – “Dog with a Candle and Lilies” (early 1660s), by Spanish painter Juan de Pareja (Antequera, c. 1606–Madrid, 1670) was recently acquired by the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. This new painting goes on view Friday, October 29, 2021 in the exhibition, inside The Davis Lab of the IMA Galleries.

Pareja was a mixed-race enslaved assistant to the eminent Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599–1660), who was the leading artist at the court of King Phillip IV from about 1630 until his death.

Artist Pareja was a talented painter in his own right, but because he was enslaved, his work has been difficult to trace and is just now beginning to be studied by scholars and institutions worldwide. With only approximately 30 paintings attributed to Pareja, 19 of which are now lost, this is an extremely rare acquisition. He was emancipated from Velázquez in 1650 and gained his freedom four years later in 1654.

     Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the extraordinary story of Pareja’s journey as well as acquire a better understanding of the iconography depicted in the painting and what each element in the work represents.

Also guests will learn about the famous portrait of Juan de Pareja, painted by Velazquez which is considered to be one of the most significant portraits ever painted. This portrait is permanently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

For more information see www.DiscoverNewfields.org.