Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velasquez
Born – Seville, Spain 1599
Died – Madrid, Spain 1660
The son of Portuguese parents, Diego Velasquez trained in the academy of Francisco Pacheo, and married his daughter. By 1617 he had set up as an independent master. Velasquez became court painter to Philip IV in Madrid at the age of 24, and retained the position for the rest of his career. He was granted permission from the king to travel and went to Italy twice. On his second visit, in 1650, he painted the celebrated portrait of Pope Innocent X. his grand and graceful paintings of the Spanish royal family and the life of the court are distinguished by their profound feelings for humanity. Drawn toward human suffering, his portraits of court jesters and dwarves are, in particular, notable for both their compassion and absence of sentiment. An Old Woman Cooking Eggs is a detailed, realistic, early genre painting that was completed before his court appointment. The impassive stare of an elderly woman and her young companion contribute to perceptive character studies, which Velasquez has treated in a dignified and sympathetic manner. The realism of the dramatically lit composition is further heightened through the finely observed accoutrements – from the heavy pots and jugs to the eggs frying in the pan.
Masterpieces:
- The Rokeby Venus
- Las Meninas
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About diego rodriguez de silva y velasquez
Diego Rodriguez De Silva Y Velasquez (Art for Children)
Ernest Lloyd Raboff
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A Brief Description of the Portrait of Prince Charles, Afterwards Charles the First Painted ... in 1623, by Velasquez: Now Exhibiting at No. 21, Old Bond-Street, London [By J. Snare].
John Snare
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Diego Velazquez (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)
Mike Venezia
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