There are two the special characteristic that give this surname its full context. One: it was common among Jews that converted to Christianity to adopt the name of the city they lived in as their new surname. By doing this the officially renounced to their faith and step towards their new life as Christians. It was also a way to blend in. Secondo: the Jewish quarter of Córdoba was one the most populous in Spain, that would be the reason for the numerous “Juanes de Córdoba” wandering the annals of History.
Out of all the “Córdobas” there is one in particular that is in everyone’s lips and academic studies these days. This “Juan de Córdoba” was part of the private circle of the great Velázquez; and as we all know now he was not the only Córdoba man there for we have already talked about Juan de Alfaro, who drew him in his death, or Antonio Palomino the first biographer of the painter.
In this case Juan de Córdoba was a royal agent in Roma with the mission to asses and accompany Velázquez during his stay in Rome. Along side him, Velázquez negotiates purchases on behalf of Philip IV; they would close deals and acquire paintings and other fine art wonders. Velázquez stayed at Juan’s house in the Nabona square, where most of the Spaniards of the city came to live, among them businessmen, editors, lawyers, artists…
Velázquez and Juan de Córdoba were more than just business partners and colleagues, they became good friends up until the death of Velázquez. The second tour of Velázquez in Rome lasted three years. There was just no way of making the painter come back. Velázquez was absorbed by the beauty of Italy. So in Rome the painter soaks in the classic techniques and liberal themes and keeps on studying the light in Italy, far away from the Spanish Baroque fashion. Back then a naked male model was commonly accepted, a female naked model was on the other hand not so admissible. We must not forget that this Rokeby Venus is one of the few paintings of a naked woman of this century in Spain.
This famous painting, painted during Velázquez’s Roman years and that will then remain hidden for over two centuries, binds together the fate of Juan de Córdoba with that of Diego Velázquez. Velázquez was then 50, he was married in Spain and had two children, but he felt happy in Rome. While producing painting after painting, suddenly he fell in love with a 18-years-old painter: Olimpia Triunfi. No one has managed to figure out the true identity of this famous Rokeby Venus, however it could be that that lovely buttocks, the only one that the Duchess of Alba (who acquired the painting in the XVIIIth century) acknowledged to be nicer than her own, was that of Olimpia. We only know that Olimpia had Velázquez’s son. This stood for a good reason to avoid coming back to Spain.
Finally Velázquez was ordered to come back to the Court by Philip IV and so he did, leaving Juan de Córdoba in charge of his son. This level of trust tells us just how important this man was to Velázquez. Who would we trust our child but a true and loyal friend. Velázquez would not see his son again, even though he tried: some years later he tried to go back to Rome but Philip IV was not sure he would eventually return and decided against him leaving the Court.
Portrait of Juan de Córdoba. Diego Velázquez. Capitoline Museums. Rome.
BY THE WAY…
History can offer us a good portrait of our honorable Cordoba man. Some months ago a surprise arrived from Rome: professor Francseca Curti finally identified the face portrayed in the painting “Portrait of a mustached Spaniard”, it belonged to Juan de Córdoba, the lost friend. There is always time to read about Velázquez.