to know is to have the facts, to understand is to act on the knowledge , wisdom is the ability to pass on knowledge

Thanks so much for commenting on ‘El Aguador de Sevilla’ by one of the masters of painting from my hometown, Diego Velázquez. I remember studying this same piece in a History of Art class, and this is what we were told: the characters represent the three ages of Man: childhood, youth and maturity. The older man is sharing the wisdom he has accumulated during his life with the young boy, who accepts it with reverence or respect. The earthenware jug contains that wisdom in the form of water. The young man in the center is said to be drinking impatiently, as if enjoying life in its plenitude. Indeed, there is a fig in the crystal cup; they were used to add flavor and also believed to make water healthier at a time when there was no water sanitation. Another aspect Velázquez seems to point at is the different social status of the boy and the old man, reflected in their clothes. As a curiosity, is is notable the similarity between the boy in this painting and the one shown in ‘Old woman frying eggs’. One could say the same boy served as a model for both paintings. Also, at that time ‘aguadores’ were usually foreigners (French, Italians…) attracted by Seville’s wealth as the commercial center of the Spanish Empire. Given the fact that they didn’t have permission to practice a trade, being water carriers was one of the few options left but a profitable one due to the very hot city temperatures. Lastly, with Seville situated in a river valley and the mountains too far to provide water, the main sources at the time of the painting were: the Guadalquivir river, the Caños de Carmona (these fountain waters were transported 17 kms. using a Roman aqueduct and underground canalizations), Fuente del Arzobispo (natural fountain just outside the city), private and public wells and fountains, and rain water.

Thank u.