The J. Paul Getty Museum has announced the acquisition of *Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares*, a 17th-century painting by Diego Velázquez that was recently identified as a work by the Spanish artist. The painting will be on public view at the Getty Center this fall in the museum’s East Pavilion.
The work depicts Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel, known as the Count-Duke of Olivares, shown in half-length with his gaze directed directly at the viewer. He is wearing armor adorned with gold trim and a red sash. A leading figure in 17th-century Spain, Olivares served as “valido”—that is, prime minister—to Philip IV and wielded considerable political power for over twenty years. He was also instrumental in major administrative and military reforms and was portrayed several times by Velázquez.
According to scholars’ reconstructions, Velázquez is believed to have painted the portrait in 1626, with the intention of presenting it as a diplomatic gift to Cardinal Francesco Barberini during the artist’s mission to Madrid in the summer of that year. A particularly significant reference appears in the inventory of the Barberini collection drawn up in Rome in 1631, where “a painting depicting Count Olivares, specifically his head and bust in armor” is recorded, which likely corresponds to this work. The painting would thus have remained in Italy. During the 20th century, it is documented in the Coppellotti collection in Asti, where it remained for generations before being purchased by a private collector in 2025 and subsequently sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Prior to its recent rediscovery, Velázquez’s portrait was known exclusively through a famous engraving by Paulus Pontius, based on a drawing by Peter Paul Rubens and sent to Olivares himself. The inscriptions on the printed portrait specify that the likeness of Olivares was based on a prototype by Velázquez, while the complex allegorical frame was designed by Rubens. The discovery of the painting now makes it possible to identify the recently rediscovered work as the original model used for the engraving.
The identification of the work took place while Salvador Salort-Pons, director of the Detroit Institute of Art and a scholar of 17th-century Spanish painting, was preparing an exhibition dedicated to the portraits of the Count-Duke of Olivares. The scholar came across the painting, which was then in a private collection, and initiated a series of analyses that led to its attribution to Velázquez. Technical examinations also provided evidence supporting the attribution. Several pentimenti—that is, changes made by the artist during the painting process—were identified on the painting’s surface. In particular, the analyses revealed substantial alterations to the subject’s clothing and armor, indicating that Velázquez had revised the composition.
There are approximately 120 known paintings by Velázquez today, of which about fifty are part of the collections of the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. The acquisition of the Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares also marks a double first for the Getty: it is the first painting by Velázquez to enter the museum’s collections and the first work by the artist to be exhibited on the West Coast of the United States.
Following its presentation at the Getty Center, the painting will be transferred to the Detroit Institute of Art, where it will be included in the exhibition “Velázquez & Olivares: The Early Years at Court,” scheduled for January 24 through July 25, 2027.
“Velázquez was one of the greatest painters of modern Europe and one of the most notable figures in the long and multifaceted tradition of court portraiture,” said Timothy Potts, director of the Getty Museum and holder of the Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Chair. “This work represents a fundamental addition to the Getty’s collection, made all the more extraordinary by its history, as it was not fully known until recently.”
“This imposing and almost intimidating portrait is a powerful visual testament to one of the most influential Spanish statesmen of the 17th century, and it exemplifies the painter’s innovation in court portraiture and his extraordinary ability to capture the subject’s personality directly from life,” said Davide Gasparrotto, senior curator of paintings at the Getty Museum. “It is an important addition to the Getty’s collection of 17th-century European paintings and a significant example for our growing collection of Spanish paintings.”
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| Velázquez’s Rediscovered Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares Joins the Getty Museum’s Collection |
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