Diego Velázquez (1599-1660)
A typical early painting by Velázquez, painted in Seville possibly 1618-1620 and similar in style to ‘An Old Woman cooking Eggs’ in the National Gallery, Edinburgh.
Two young men sit at a table where different earthenware vessels, food and other utensils are placed. Our eye is drawn to the wonderful still life on the table, the two men are turned from our gaze intent on their food.
The two men may be kitchen helpers taking a short break from their work. This forms part of a series of paintings showing realistic scenes of ordinary Spanish people not unlike the 16th century Flemish school.