Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez)
1599–1660 · Baroque & Dutch Golden Age
Biography
Diego Velázquez (1599–1660) was the leading painter at the court of King Philip IV of Spain. His masterpieces, such as Las Meninas, combine astonishing realism with free brushwork that later inspired Manet and the Impressionists.
From the artist’s life
Diego Velázquez (1599–1660), court painter to King Philip IV of Spain, is regarded as one of the greatest painters of all time. His freely brushed, lifelike portraits influenced Manet and the Impressionists.
From the page of Old Woman Frying Eggs
Apart from The Surrender of Breda, we know of only one other history painting by Velázquez, The Expulsion of the Moriscos. In 1627 the picture won a prize in a competition in which other Spanish court painters, such as Vicente Carducho, Eugenio Caxés and Angelo Nardi, competed. Velázquez became a court painter in 1623, at only 24, and soon King Philip IV’s favourite artist. The competition is said to have been the Spanish king’s idea: he wanted to silence the critics who regarded Velázquez as merely a portrait painter or were simply jealous of his abilities. The competition was judged by a committee that included the Dominican friar and painter Juan Bautista Maino, who also contributed to the collection of history paintings in the Hall of Realms. Velázquez’s prize-winning work, The Expulsion of the Moriscos, was probably consumed by fire in the following century, and only Carducho’s picture on a similar subject survives.
From the page of The Surrender of Breda
Diego Velázquez (1599–1660) was court painter to Philip IV of Spain and one of the greatest painters of all time. His Las Meninas and royal portraits are celebrated for their realism and freedom of touch.
From the page of Portrait of Innocent X
