A young boy in ornate black and gold attire stands at the center, his body turned slightly to the left while his gaze meets the viewer directly. A broad pink sash crosses his chest, and a delicate lace collar frames his round face and fair hair. Beside him to the left, a court dwarf in a dark dress with a wide white apron sits on the carpet, holding a scepter in one hand and an apple in the other.

The dwarf’s head is turned in profile, eyes glancing up toward the prince, with a necklace of dark beads circling the neck and a lace-edged collar echoing the prince’s own. Both figures are set against a backdrop of deep red drapery, which cascades in heavy folds from the upper left and right, creating a theatrical enclosure around them. A richly patterned carpet covers the floor, its intricate design rendered with careful brushwork, while a plumed black hat rests on a crimson cushion at the lower right, its white feather and gold tassel adding further touches of luxury.

Light falls from the left, illuminating the prince’s face and the dwarf’s features, and highlighting the textures of velvet, lace, and embroidery with a subtle play of shadow and sheen. The artist’s brushwork is precise in the rendering of costume details, especially in the gold embroidery and the crisp folds of fabric, while broader, looser strokes appear in the drapery and carpet. The composition places the two figures close together, with the prince upright and formal, the dwarf seated and animated, creating a contrast in posture and mood.

The scene is both intimate and ceremonial, with every object and gesture reinforcing the status and setting of the Spanish court. Prince Balthasar Charles With a Dwarf was painted by Diego Velázquez in 1631.