Newbery Medal Winner
I, Juan de Pareja
by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño
Summary
Narrated by Juan de Pareja, the enslaved assistant of the great Spanish painter Diego Velázquez, the novel imagines their relationship in seventeenth century Spain as Juan secretly learns to paint despite laws forbidding it. The story explores friendship, dignity, and artistry against the backdrop of the Spanish court and its master painters. Treviño builds her tale on the real historical figures of Velázquez and Pareja, who did become a painter in his own right.
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Historical Context & Significance
The book is rooted in fact, since the real Juan de Pareja was freed by Velázquez and went on to become a recognized painter whose work hangs in major museums.