Don Ramón de Posada y Soto

By 1801 Goya was first painter to the Spanish crown, and the man he set against this dark ground had spent much of his career on the far side of the empire. Ramón de Posada y Soto had served as a judge and crown prosecutor in New Spain, in Mexico, where he helped found the royal art academy in Mexico City. The two had met in Madrid around 1794. Goya lets the background fall away into shadow and throws the light onto the face, catching the large nose and the sharp, watchful eyes. On the dark coat sits the cross of the Order of Carlos III, the reward for a life spent in the king's service.