- Cronología
- Ca. 1807 - 1808
- Ubicación
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States
- Dimensiones
- 105 x 84 cm
- Técnica y soporte
- Oil on canvas
- Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
- Documented work
- Titular
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Ficha: realización/revisión
- 13 Apr 2010 / 16 Jun 2023
- Inventario
- (61.259)
- Otros títulos:
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José Costa y Bonells
Pepito Costa y Bonells. Por Goya 18 [...] ("Pepito Costa y Bonells. By Goya, 18[...]", lower left).
This work was the property of José Costa y Bonells. It was later inherited by his niece, Matilda Quesada y Bayo de Fernández de Córdoba, Countess of Gondomar. After that, it was in a number of different collections and galleries: Galería Trotti, Paris; Knoedler, New York and London; Mr and Mrs John W. Simpson, New York; Knoedler, New York; Andrew W. Mellon, Pittsburgh; Mr and Mrs Morton F. Plant, New York; Mrs Morton F. Plant, and then Mrs William Hayward, New York; Mr and Mrs Harrison Williams, New York; Mrs Harrison William, Paris, later Mona, Countess of Bismarck. It was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1961.
The father of Pepito Costa (1802-1871) was Rafael Costa de Quintana, Ferdinand VII's doctor. His wife, and Pepito's mother, Amalia Bonells, was also painted by Goya. Pepito's grandfather, Jaime Bonells, was the Duchess of Alba's doctor.
Little is known about Pepito Costa except that he enlisted in the Local Voluntary Infantry in Madrid.
Here Goya has painted him as a child, when he was around five years old.
The boy is shown standing in front of a neutral background, where it is still possible to see the reddish primer that the painter typically applied to his canvases. He is wearing white dungarees underneath a green jacket with gold edging and decoration, in imitation of the uniforms worn by soldiers at the time. On his feet he wears yellow shoes with knots. In his left hand he holds a string that is tied to a toy horse, whilst in his right hand he grips a large military hat, with red and blue feathers. Behind him, a drum and other assorted toys complete the scene.
The boy's face looks straight out at the viewer with a serious and slightly nervous expression - perhaps in a premonition of what was about to occur, since the portrait was painted just before the start of the invasion by Napolean's forces.
The light is falling directly on to the figure of the child, leaving the background in shadow where, although painted in long brushstrokes, the details of the toys are all recognisable, if somewhat blurred.
According to Juan J. Luna, all of the objects in the composition - with the exception of the toy horse - are depicted life size, minimizing the role of the child and in a way reducing his importance as the subject of the work.
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Loan exhibition of Painting by El Greco and GoyaM. Knoedler and Co.New York1912April 1912cat. 18
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Goya. 250 AniversarioMuseo Nacional del PradoMadrid1996consultant editor Juan J. Luna. From March 29th to June 2nd 1996cat. 140
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Chefs d’oeuvre de la peinture européenneFondation Pierre GianaddaMartigny2006from June 23th to November 12th 2006cat. 29
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Grandes maestros de la pintura europea del Metropolitan Museum of ArtMuseu Nacional d’Art de CatalunyaBarcelona2006consultant editor Katharine Baetjer. From december 1st 2006 to March 4th 2007cat. 23
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Goya en tiempos de guerraMuseo Nacional del PradoMadrid2008consultant editor Manuela B. Mena Marqués, from April 14th to July 13th 2008cat. 48
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L'œuvre peint de Goya. 4 volsParís1928-1950p. 173, cat. 460
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Vie et ouvre de Francisco de GoyaParísOffice du livre1970p. 262, cat. 895
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BarcelonaPolígrafa1970vol. I, p. 369, cat. 662
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Goya’s portrait of Pepito Costa y BonellsBulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York1973pp. 174-175
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Francisco de Goya, 4 vols.ZaragozaCaja de Ahorros de Zaragoza, Aragón y Rioja1980-1982vol. IV, p. 13
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Goya. 250 AniversarioMadridMuseo del Prado1996pp. 233 (il.), 410 y 411, cat. 140
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Goya en tiempos de guerraMadridMuseo Nacional del Prado2008pp. 220 y 221 (il.), cat. 48