Diego Velázquez

Diego Velázquez prints bring the work of one of the greatest painters in history into your home. Court painter to King Philip IV of Spain, Velázquez painted Las Meninas, unforgettable portraits of the royal family and court, and early scenes of everyday life in Seville that are startling in their realism. Our collection of fine art prints includes his royal portraits, religious works, kitchen scenes and portraits of courtiers.

About Diego Velázquez

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was born in Seville and baptised on 6 June 1599, the son of a notary. He showed an early gift for art and in 1610 was apprenticed to the painter and scholar Francisco Pacheco, who encouraged his learning. In 1618 he married Pacheco's daughter Juana.

His early works, such as Old Woman Cooking Eggs, are scenes of everyday life painted in a dramatic, realistic style with strong light and shadow. In 1623 the Count-Duke of Olivares summoned him to Madrid, and on 30 August Philip IV sat for him; he became the king's painter and remained at court for the rest of his life. In 1628 he accompanied Peter Paul Rubens, then on a diplomatic mission in Madrid, to see the Titians at the Escorial, and Rubens encouraged his wish to visit Italy.

Velázquez painted scores of portraits of the royal family, courtiers, jesters and dwarfs, as well as mythological and religious subjects. His masterpiece, Las Meninas, followed in 1656. He was offered a knighthood in 1658. He died in Madrid on 6 August 1660, and most of his work passed into the Spanish royal collection, now in the Prado.

Style and Subjects

Velázquez began in a precise tenebrist style, with strong contrasts of light and shadow and solid, realistic figures. Over time his brushwork became freer and bolder, so that close up his paintings dissolve into loose strokes that come together at a distance as silk, lace and light.

His portraits are dignified and deeply human, whether of a king, an infanta or a court jester. His work became a model for nineteenth-century Realists and Impressionists, and later for Picasso, Dalí and Francis Bacon.

Famous Works

• Old Woman Cooking Eggs (1618), Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh. A Seville kitchen scene of astonishing realism.
• The Waterseller of Seville (about 1620), Apsley House, London. An old water seller handing a glass to a boy.
• The Surrender of Breda (1634–1635), Museo del Prado, Madrid. The Dutch handing over the keys of Breda to the Spanish general.
• Prince Baltasar Carlos in Silver (about 1633). The young heir in a silver costume.
• Rokeby Venus (about 1647–1651), National Gallery, London. Venus gazing into a mirror held by Cupid.
• Juan de Pareja (1650), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. His assistant, painted in Rome, a portrait of great presence.
• Las Meninas (1656), Museo del Prado, Madrid. The Infanta Margarita and her maids of honour, with the painter himself at his easel.

Decorating with Velázquez Prints

Velázquez's royal portraits suit formal rooms: a dining room, library or hallway with dark wood, deep red or green walls and gilt frames. A portrait such as Infanta Margarita Teresa in a Blue Dress or Las Meninas makes a magnificent focal point.

His kitchen scenes, such as Old Woman Cooking Eggs, are natural choices for a kitchen or dining room, and his portraits of courtiers and saints suit a study or quiet reading room.

FAQ

What is Diego Velázquez's most famous painting?

Las Meninas (1656), in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, is his masterpiece and one of the most famous paintings in the world.

What art movement was Velázquez part of?

Velázquez was a Baroque painter of the Spanish Golden Age. He began in a tenebrist style and developed a free, bold brushwork that later inspired Realists and Impressionists.

Who did Velázquez paint?

As court painter to Philip IV he painted the king, queen, princes and infantas, as well as courtiers, jesters, dwarfs, saints and figures from myth.

Who taught Velázquez?

He was apprenticed to Francisco Pacheco in Seville from 1610, and married Pacheco's daughter Juana in 1618.

Where can I see Velázquez's paintings?

The Museo del Prado in Madrid holds by far the best collection. Others are in the National Gallery in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Scottish National Gallery and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Related Artists

• Peter Paul Rubens: the Flemish master he showed the Escorial in 1628
• Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: Sevillian painter of the next generation
• Francisco de Zurbarán: fellow Sevillian painter of the same generation
• Francisco de Goya: later Spanish court painter deeply influenced by him
• El Greco: earlier master of Spanish painting