Haut Boys: Waterseller of Seville
7:00 AMThe Haut Boys
The Audition for the Newest Art History Boy Band – The Haut Boys
Curated by Susie Xu |
| Velazquez, Waterseller of Seville, 1618 |
Those wrinkles are deeper than the Grand Canyon. (Burn Notice!) Thank Da Vinci it’s not the elder man nor the ghost dude in the back nominated as hotties. It’s the waterseller boy. His face is cute and angular, and he’s got a lovely non-chalant expression to him. The boy seems humble enough. Perhaps Durer can learn from him.
But if the judge does not know, a majority of watersellers are famously depicted in Spanish stories as a gratifying soul in the large city, especially on a hot summer day. They bring relief to those in dire need of a cup of water. Despite the focus of cute boys, the beautiful portrayal of water in this painting by Valázquez is absolutely phenomenal. Each droplet that rolls carelessly down the water jug seems almost magically ephemeral – translucent and perfect. Valázquez’s technique for his portrayal of the liquid is absolutely gorgeous and very much noteworthy – almost as perfect as the boy.
The light source from the left also shines perfectly to highlight and contour the faces of the characters within the painting. But the location of the painting, Seville, also plays a large part into the attire of the characters. Though Seville was considered one of the richest cities in Spain, just akin to any other city, modern or ancient, there was the poor that lived in the outskirts. Some consider this waterseller to be around the outside of the beautiful city, for the dull surroundings of the painting does not match to imagined luxury of the wealthy.
Who doesn’t love a rags to riches story? Waterseller Boy is hired!
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