Eduardo Mendoza, Tiff cats, Madrid, 1936:
Anthony Whitelands n or is intending to write anything, but as a pilgrim who came to the place where we honor the saint, to implore his protection. With this vague feeling, stops in front of a table, find the appropriate distance, cleaned the glasses and looks motionless, hardly breathing.
Velázquez painted the portrait of Don Juan of Austria at the same age who now has the English that provides awe. In his day was part of a collection of buffoons and dwarfs intended to decorate the royal apartments. That someone could instruct a great artist's portraits of these pathetic creatures and then convert the pictures in order preeminent decor may be shocking today, but must not be so and, ultimately, what matters is that the strange King's whim gave rise to these tremendous works.
Unlike his co-collection, the individual nicknamed Don Juan of Austria did not have permanent employment court. He was a part-time clown, occasionally hired to fill a temporary absence or to strengthen the staff of the sick, idiotic and insane to amuse the king and his companions. The files do not retain their name, only his nickname extravagant. Equate the military's largest armies Imperial and natural son of Charles V had to be part of the joke. In the portrait, the clown, to do honor to his name, has his feet a musket, a breastplate, helmet and balls that could be cannon balls, small arms, her dress is royal, wields a baton and hat is covered with a disproportionately large, slightly twisted, topped by an ornate headdress. These sumptuous garments do not conceal the reality, but the show, he immediately notices a ridiculous mustache and a scowl that with a few centuries before him a little like Nietzsche. The clown is no longer young. It has the rough hands, legs, however, are thin and show a fragile complexion. The face is extremely skinny, prominent cheekbones, his eyes evasive, suspicious. For more fun behind the character, to one side of the table, we foresee a naval battle and its aftermath: a ship on fire, black smoke. The real Don Juan of Austria had sent the English fleet at the Battle of Lepanto against the Turks, the greatest feat ever met, in the words of Cervantes. The battle of the picture remains unclear: it may be a fragment of reality, an allegory, a parody or a fool's dream. The effect is intended to be satirical, but English is clouded eyes to contemplate a battle described by a technique that is ahead all his time painting and Turner used the same purpose.
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