“Vallecas the Child (after Velázquez)” is an artwork created by Fernando Botero in 1959. The piece belongs to the Neo-Figurative Art movement and is classified within the portrait genre.
The artwork depicts a child from the chest up, enveloped in rich, vibrant colors. Elements of the composition are rendered with Botero’s distinctive style, characterized by exaggerated forms and generous, rounded lines. The use of color is both lush and dynamic, with a warm palette dominated by shades of red, orange, and touches of green and purple. The child’s face, imbued with a sense of serenity, is accented by soft, blended strokes, lending a dreamlike quality to the overall image. Noteworthy is the way the colors interplay, creating textures and depth, enhancing the emotive presence of the child in the portrait.
