BIOGRAPHY

Considered by many to be Spain’s greatest painter and one of the foremost painters of all time, Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez was born in Seville in 1599, of Portuguese descent. At a young age, he entered into apprenticeships with Francisco Herrera and Francisco Pacheco, two men who would influence his artwork for years to come. Among his first works, between 1617 and 1622, Herrera’s influence is clearly evident. During this time, Velázquez also married Pacheco’s daughter, Juana.

In 1622 Velázquez traveled to Madrid where he won acclaim for his portrait of Luis de Góngora. In Madrid, he became the court painter to Phillip IV. As court painter, Velázquez painted many portraits of the King, as well as non-royal subjects. After several years, Velázquez traveled to Italy, where he painted Joseph’s Coat and The Forge of Vulcan. These two works showcased Velázquez’s mastery of the nude and his ability to use muted color to achieve a strong pictorial effect.

Upon his return to Madrid, he worked for the Salón de los Reinos in the Buen Retiro Palace, painting equestrian portraits of the royal family. During these years, Velázquez also painted numerous portraits of dwarfs and jesters. His portrayals of these subjects are remarkable for their psychological insight. With Velázquez’s last great work, Las Meninas, which combined the royal portrait with the portrait of dwarves; the viewer is privy to all of his artistic vision in this beautiful and complex work.

When Velázquez died in 1660, the world lost one of its most beloved painters. In fact, some consider Velázquez the first modern painter. Many of his portraits are now housed in the Prado museum in Madrid.

Truly universal, Velázquez excelled in many areas, from genre to mythology, from impressionistic landscapes to religious subjects. Using earthen colors, he specialized in realistic renderings of royal and non-royal subjects, such as dwarves and jesters.

Perhaps his most well known area of work is the portrait. From very early on in his career, he was commissioned to paint portraits of the royal court of Phillip IV, among others. In 1623, Velázquez painted his first portrait of the King. In his portraits of the King and other members of the royal family, the subjects are always dressed in black in the severe style of the Spanish court of that time. Also in these types of portraits, Velázquez created the feeling of space and atmosphere without the usual measures such as furniture or curtains; he only uses subtle shifts of light or vague floor and wall lines. Also during this time, Velázquez painted the King’s prime minister. With this portrait, as well as all of his non-royal portraits, he painted the subject in a more realistic light and is freer with the brush; in contrast, when painting the King, whom he saw as a semi-divine entity, he is much more flattering, and uses more delicate tones.

In the years following 1634, Velázquez painted numerous dwarves and jesters. With these portraits, Velázquez spared us no physical deformity or mental suffering. These paintings are rich, profound psychological studies. Velázquez painted these figures as they are; with a sympathetic understanding that creates a feeling of human dignity for this group of people that might not have been shown such compassion in their lives.

Finally, one cannot discuss Velázquez without discussing Las Meninas. The scene in the painting represents the artist, who appears in this work, doing a portrait of the King and Queen with their child and her entourage watching. The interesting thing about this portrait is that the focus is on the Princess and her attendants. In fact, the King and Queen are relegated to the background, only shown through a reflection in a mirror in the back of the room. This painting, most famous, showcases all of Velázquez’s abilities as an artist: the use of crossing diagonals, the subtle use of pinks and grays, the masterful brushwork and his rendering of atmospheric space.

PAINTINGS