Diego Velázquez (1599-1660)
TALENT FIT FOR A KING
Spanish artist Diego Velázquez was perhaps one of the most accomplished painters of his time. Although he painted landscapes, religious and mythological themes, and still lifes, he was best known for his masterful portraits rendered with near perfect skill. He was appointed as the official painter to King Philip IV and the Spanish court in Madrid while still in his early 20s.
Velázquez was born in Seville, Spain, to Juan Rodriguez de Silva and Jeronima Velázquez, whose family had minor aristocratic ties. He was the eldest of five brothers and one sister, though little is known about his siblings. Although he received a well-rounded education as a child, Velázquez was clearly destined for art. As a teenager, he studied with Francisco Pacheco, an artist of some note who painted mostly religious-themed works. When Velázquez was 19, he married Pacheco’s daughter, Juana, with whom he had two daughters.
This statue of Diego Velázquez greets visitors at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain.
As the painter to “his Majesty,” Velázquez enjoyed a robust salary and many privileges. He held a number of positions, one of which included planning royal events. At the urging of his friend Peter Paul Rubens, Velázquez journeyed to Italy in 1629 to study the masters. He traveled to Italy only one other time 20 years later on business for the king, at which time he painted the awe-inspiring portrait of Pope Innocent X. Outside of those trips, Velázquez remained in Madrid in the king’s service for the rest of his life. —RJR
Notable works: Los Borrachos, 1629; Pope Innocent X, 1650 (page 232); Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor), 1656.
FUN FACT
Diego Velázquez’s oeuvre has had a substantial influence on a number of artists through the ages, including Corot, Courbet, Manet, Dalí, and Picasso.