June 6: Today in Art
- Jun 6, 2017
- 2 min read
"His Men and Women Seemed to Breathe"
Happy Birthday, Diego Velásquez! Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velásquez was born in 1599 in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. Velásquez is most known for his work as the Royal Court Painter for the Spanish King, Philip IV; however, his talent extends beyond his official title. In 1611, Velásquez began a six-year apprenticeship with Francisco Pacheco, a painter with an old-fashioned, idealized Catholic style. Velásquez soon abandoned Pacheco's techniques and became heavily influenced by Caravaggio - naturalist painting with dramatic expression. The Supper at Emmaus (1622-23) portrays Christ and two disciples sharply lit against a somber background.
In 1623, Velásquez was summoned to Madrid by King Philip IV to paint a royal portrait. Although that painting is now lost, its success led Velásquez to be named the official painter to the King. He remained attached to the court for the remainder of his life - eventually receiving a knighthood. During this time, his art was influenced by Venetian paintings and Peter Paul Rubens. Incredibly inspired, Velásquez made two trips to Italy basking in his fresh exposure to classical antiquity. He had the opportunity to exhibit the portrait of his assistant, Juan de Pareja, in Rome which gained critical success due to its extraordinary lifelike quality. With such recognition, he was granted permission to paint the Pope Innocent X. One observer wrote, "Velásquez had come to Italy not to learn but to teach, for his Innocent X was the amazement of Rome. Every artist copied it and looked upon it as a miracle."
In his final decade, Velásquez returned to Spain where he created perhaps his most famous painting, Las Meninas, a beautiful portrayal of the Royal Family. His style was free and luminous which miraculously translated onto the canvas. Diego Velásquez died in August 1660 leaving behind an astounding legacy of color fluidity and liveliness - appropriately dubbed "the painter of painters"by Manet centuries later.
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