Velázquez, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y (1599-1660)

He studied and practiced the art of painting in his hometown, Seville. At the age of twenty-four he moved with his family to Madrid and began to serve the king, first as the king’s painter, a little later as a chamber painter from then until his death in 1660.

In Seville he was a disciple of Francisco Pacheco, there he developed a naturalistic style greatly influenced by Caravaggio, and there he obtained his license as a painter and to join the painters’ guild. The Sevillian clientele, mostly ecclesiastical, demanded religious themes, devotional paintings and portraits, which is why the painter’s production at this time was also focused on religious commissions. His still lifes are also especially recognized.

In Madrid he quickly rose in popularity and by 1628 he was already a chamber painter. That same year, Rubens arrived in Madrid and stayed in the capital for a year. Among other influences of the Flemish painter on Velázquez, he encouraged him to travel to Rome. This trip represented a decisive change in his painting.

From the beginning of 1631, back in Madrid, he returned to his main task as a painter of royal portraits in a period of extensive production. Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo entered his workshop as an apprentice. At this time he participated in the two great decorative projects of the period: the new Buen Retiro Palace, promoted by Olivares, and the Torre de la Parada, a hunting lodge of the king near Madrid.

In 1643 he held the position of valet, which represented the maximum recognition of royal favors, given that he was one of the people closest to the monarch.

He made a second trip to Rome between 1649 and 1651, this trip was marked by diplomatic tasks commissioned by the king. On this journey honored as a member of the Academy of Saint Luke and the Congregation of the Virtuous.

Returning to court, the king appointed him royal guest. His many obligations at court took away a lot of his time from being able to dedicate himself to painting, although two of his most famous works are from this last stage, Las Meninas and Las Hilanderas. In 1660, to fulfill his obligations as royal guest, Velázquez accompanied the court to Funterrabía near the French border, where the Infanta Maria Teresa was to meet her new husband Louis XIV. Shortly after returning from this trip, he became ill and died in August of that same year.