The dazzling whites of this child’s elaborate costume, tailored in imitation of a soldier’s uniform, set him apart from the additional military references guised as toys: a horse, drum, and rifle with fixed bayonet. This extraordinary portrait is most closely related to works that Goya painted shortly after 1810 and seems to allude to the Spanish War of Independence (1808–14). Known by the nickname Pepito, the sitter’s father, Rafael Costa de Quintana, was doctor to King Ferdinand VII; his mother was the daughter of Jaime Bonells, doctor to the Alba family, important patrons of Goya’s.
百度翻译：http://fanyi.baidu.com
