Sunday, June 29, 2014

Paintings By Velazquez

By Darren Hartley


Velazquez paintings are famous for their portraits, which rank among the finest in world art. Diego Velazquez was the greatest among all Spanish painters. Diego spent most of his life in Madrid where he was the favourite artist of King Philip IV, who let no other artist paint him.

Most of the Velazquez paintings were unavailable to the public until the opening of the opening of Spain's national museum, the Prado, in 1819. From then on, his influence can be gleamed from the works of Manet, Picasso and Francis Bacon.

The early Velazquez paintings were made up of traditional religious themes favoured by his master, Francisco Pacheco, a local painter, with whom Diego spent a six year apprenticeship, starting at the age of 11. The naturalism of Italian painter, Caravaggio, also had an influence on him. Diego was born in Seville, Spain, in June 6, 1599.

From June 1629 to January 1631, Diego travelled to Italy. It was there that he was influenced by the great artists of the region. Upon his return to Madrid, he began a series of Velazquez paintings consisting of portraits featuring the members of the royal family on horseback.

Among the last Velazquez paintings was a group of mythological scenes for the Alcazar palace. Royal portraits remained to be on top of Diego's priorities as far as painting is concerned. These portraits would include that of Philip IV of Spain. In 1658, he was made a Knight of Santiago, an honour Diego had always desired.

On Diego's second trip to Italy from 1649 to 1651, he was given the opportunity to include the portrait of Pope Innocent X among the Velazquez paintings. The portrait is considered among the finest portraits ever to be rendered. Other paintings of the period was a portrait of Pope Innocent X's servant, Juan de Pareja, admired for its striking realism and the Venus Rokeby, the only surviving female nude painting by Velazquez.




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