Diego Rodriguez De Silva Y Velazquez

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez, the oldest of six children, was born in Seville and baptized on June 6, 1599. His parents, Juan Rodriguez de Silva and Geronima Velazquez were of Portuguese decent and of inferior nobility. Fortunately, this had no outcome on his determination and strength of will.

At a premature age, Velazquez began to study painting underneath Francisco de Herrera. A year afterward he became employed as an apprentice to Francisco Pacheco, a Sevillian Mannerist painter. Pacheco educated Velazquez the principals of illustration, technique, proportion, perception, and coloring. Commencing this, Velazquez obtained the largely prevalent contemporary styles of painting, which were derivative from Flemish and Italian realism.

Although he had an incredibly astounding imagination, he had the persuasion that he would merely paint what he could witness and in turn, value. Velazquez studied the affects of lighting and shading which he applied to buildings, inns, peasant's huts, and the human face/form. It was entirely to provide an additional effectual grasp on the subject. In short he became the master of depicting emotion, expression, passion, and character.

Pacheco realized Velazquez's forthcoming magnitude and rewarded it in eagerness by giving him his daughter's hand in matrimony. Juana and Velazquez were wedded in 1618. A few of his works in Seville were "kitchen pictures" also identified as bodegones. Christ in the House of Martha and Mary (National Gallery, London) the Cook (National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh) and the Water Carrier (Apsley House, London) were also some of his prominent works in Seville.

In 1622, Velazquez went on a brief voyage to Madrid where he studied in art galleries and painted superior portraits. Regrettably, they weren't worthy enough for him to remain in the capital. He headed back to Seville. A year later he was called to revisit Madrid from Olivares, Philip IV's minister. He had brought Pacheco and shortly, Velazquez's entire relatives to reside in Madrid. The minister of the crown compensated for it completely. Here he had gained immaculate success and became painter to the king. They gained a magnificent companionship that lasted further than a third of a century, by no means to be broken. In 1628, Rubens, the distinguished Flemish artiste, visited Madrid, which made Velazquez anxiously desire to pay a visit to the immense art centers of Italy.

The subsequent year, the generosity of the King and Olivares enabled Velazquez to visit Italy. While he was there he studied the magnificent masters in Venice and Rome. He prepared duplicates of several works by Raphael and Michelangelo for the King. Throughout his time in Italy, Velazquez became enthused by his surroundings and produced a large amount of unique work. One included The Forge of Vulcan (Prado, Madrid).

In 1631, Velazquez visited Naples along with Jusepe de Ribera, another renowned Spanish painter. Velazquez there painted the portrait of the Infanta