Thursday, June 19, 2014

Paintings Of 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.

Velazquez visited Italy twice. It was during these visits that he was able to include a portrait of Pope Innocent X among the snapshot-like Velazquez paintings. This was in 1650. The pope said the painting was so truthful in the vivid way the picture caught his character. He was truly impressed.

In 1618, Diego married Juana, the daughter of Francisco Pacheco, a local painter, with whom he spent a 6 year apprenticeship with. By 1621, the couple had two daughters. Through the connections his father in law had, Diego was able to move to Madrid in 1622. The Court-Duke of Olivares was one of the earliest sitters for the portraits that comprised the Velazquez paintings.

The move to the royal court gave Diego access to a vast collection of works. He came in contact with important artists including Peter Paul Rubens, a Flemish baroque master, who spent six months at the court in 1628. Among the notable Velazquez paintings of the period was The Triumph of Bacchus, portraying a group of revellers falling under the powerful spell of the Greek god of wine.

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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