Miguel de Múzquiz, Count of Gausa

See Miguel de Múzquiz y Goyeneche, Count of Gausa

Miguel de Múzquiz, Count of Gausa, was undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the government of the monarchy of Charles III. Goya knew the minister as he had signed a number of payment orders for his work for the Tapestry Factory and was an important person for him.

Múzquiz was not very graceful and in this drawing we can already see the moral blows and health problems that were to afflict him in his later years. It is possible to appreciate the passage of age in his tired eyes, with marked dark circles under his eyes, his direct gaze, the frankness of his character, and the sympathy of his kindly gesture.

In addition to the humanity with which Goya depicts him, he also shows his high social status through the sash and cross of the Order of Charles III and the medal of the knight of Santiago. These are depicted with admirable realism and naturalness, despite their size, in which the shine and flexibility of the moiré of the sash are evident, adapting to the folds of his clothing. Finally, her hand delicately holds a folded piece of paper, which hints at her tireless work in the State Administration.

This drawing was used in the preparation of the engraving by Fernando Selma (1752-1810) to illustrate the book by Francisco de Cabarrús, In Praise of His Excellency the Count of Gausa, which Cabarrús himself read before the Royal Society of Friends of the Country in Madrid on 24 December 1785.