In the era of Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyke, Spain had its own great painter-Diego Velasquez. His assistant: an African slave, Juan, who by helping his master in his studio becomes an artist himself. Self-taught by watching his master's technique, he is torn between the need to keep his secret-for such work as the creation of art is forbidden to slaves-and the desire to reveal.
Reviews
...
This 1965 publication won a Newbery Medal and top awards in England and France. De Trevino's masterpiece is enhanced by Ward's glorious narration. The colorful text is presented so artistically that simply listening to all of the different voices and accents is a great pleasure. Juan is an African slave who assists Spanish painter Velçzquez and himself becomes an accomplished artist in spite of the prohibition against a slave learning to paint. The diverse European accents, as well as Juan's African speech patterns as a child and an adult, are masterfully recreated. The book closes very interestingly with de Trevino explaining the art of creating a biography. S.G.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
