Diego Velazquez Great Spanish artist, court painter of Philip IV. Date of Birth: 06.06.1599 Country: Spain

Biography of Diego Velázquez

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, one of the greatest Spanish painters and the court painter of Philip IV, was born on June 6, 1599 in the city of Seville, Spain. He was born into a noble but not wealthy family. His father was originally from Portugal, and this fact greatly influenced Diego's destiny. Like many other boys, he was sent to a Latin school in a monastery. However, a few years later, when his artistic abilities became evident, his father took ten-year-old Diego to the workshop of the famous Spanish painter Francisco Herrera. The choice of such a profession was a challenge for the Spanish aristocracy, as the profession of an artist was considered unacceptable for a nobleman. Diego studied briefly with Herrera, but their personalities did not match. After a year, he worked in the workshop of another artist, Francisco Pacheco, where he stayed until 1617 when he received the title of master. Pacheco was a fervent admirer of antiquity and an excellent teacher. According to Pacheco's guiding principle that "the essence of an artist's art lies in drawing," Diego drew a lot. According to Pacheco himself, Velázquez "paid a peasant boy who served as his model. He portrayed him in different appearances and poses, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing, without being deterred by any difficulties." Following his teacher's advice, Diego honed his drawing skills, allowing him to accurately reproduce nature in his paintings on everyday life themes, known as "bodegones" in Spanish. Paintings such as "The Breakfast," "The Old Cook," "The Mulatto Servant," "Musicians," "Breakfast of Two Youths," and "Water Carrier" emerged during this period. In his teacher's house, Diego met his future wife. "After five years of education and upbringing, I gave him my daughter in marriage, driven by his virtue, purity, and other good qualities, as well as in the hope of his natural and great genius," Pacheco writes in his book "The Art of Painting." At that time, Pacheco's only daughter, Juana Miranda, was almost sixteen years old. In 1619 and 1621, Diego and his wife had two daughters. In 1620, Diego opened his own workshop. When the sixteen-year-old King Philip IV ascended the throne, he replaced almost all of his father's court entourage. Upon learning about the talented artist from Seville, he summoned him to his court. In the autumn of 1623, Velázquez, along with his father-in-law, arrived in Madrid. Here, he received patronage from the Prime Minister Olivares. The artist painted a portrait of the young King Philip IV, which was highly successful, and soon he was appointed as the court painter. He was assigned ceremonial apartments in one of the wings of the royal palace and a spacious studio in one of the suburban castles. From then on, Velázquez was no longer dependent on occasional earnings, but at the same time, he had to devote a significant portion of his time to court ceremonies. The subject matter of his paintings became sharply limited, and portraiture became his main genre for many years.
Velázquez painted King Philip and his children many times. He particularly painted the daughter of Philip, Infanta Margarita, frequently. Several portraits have survived, showing her growing up and the changing of her face. Soon, Velázquez's popularity grew to the point where it became a disgrace not to have a portrait of his work at court. Among the portraits of this period, the portraits of "Count of Olivares" (1625) and "Jester Calabazas" (1626-1627) are noteworthy. In these portraits, which became increasingly "immaterial," the painter's brush gains lightness, depicting subjects that are less sublime but more elegant and socially significant. In addition to court portraits, Velázquez created a gallery of images of Spanish cultural figures such as playwrights Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, and Calderon, and poet Quevedo.
However, Velázquez's popularity not only brought adoration but also envy. The audacity of the young Sevillian, who did not adhere to academic traditions, led to a conflict with the most authoritative artists. They insisted on holding a competition. In 1627, Velázquez painted a large historical painting called "The Expulsion of the Moriscos." It depicted one of the most tragic pages in Spanish history - the expulsion from the country of all those of Arabic origin. Although the sharp expressiveness of the painting contradicted its ceremonial and official purpose, the king was thrilled with Velázquez's work and ordered it to be exhibited in one of the palace halls for public viewing. The painting remained there for several weeks before the king ordered it to be moved to the Hall of Mirrors, where his favorite paintings by Titian and Rubens hung. The artist himself received a very high reward for those times - he became the keeper of the royal door, which was equivalent to the position of chamberlain. In 1629, the artist completed an unusual painting for the Spanish tradition on an ancient subject - "Bacchus" or "The Drinkers" (1628-1629).
"It is believed that this painting depicts the initiation ritual into the brotherhood of Bacchus," writes L.L. Kagane. "The life of the city, its types and customs continued to interest Velázquez. But now, the choice of characters became bolder, the characteristics of those depicted became more diverse, and the painting's solution became more generalized and monumental. Like contemporary literature and theater, Velázquez portrayed the declassed representatives of society who were so characteristic of Spain at that time. They had audacity, recklessness, joy, and bitterness. But overall, the artist paid tribute to the vitality and optimism of his people. The ancient subject allowed the painter to break with the tradition of interior domestic scenes. He takes the action outdoors, which makes the lighting more even and the colors more vibrant. However, the foreground is still somewhat heavy, and the contrasts of light and shadow are quite strong. But Velázquez would later master the method of depicting outdoor scenes to perfection, which was new for painting at that time."
In 1629, King Philip IV graciously allowed the artist to join the entourage of the famous commander Ambrosio Spinola, who was heading to the neighboring peninsula. Velázquez visited Venice, Ferrara, Rome, and Naples. He copied paintings by Tintoretto, frescoes by Michelangelo, studied ancient sculpture, and acquainted himself with the works of contemporary Italian artists.
His trip to Italy contributed to the expansion of his artistic horizons and the improvement of his skills. After returning, the artist worked a lot, and the 1630s became the most fruitful period of his career. First, "The Forge of Vulcan" (1630) appeared, where mythological figures were combined with scenes close to reality. In 1634-1635, Velázquez painted his only battle scene, "The Surrender of Breda," in which his mastery shines in all its glory.
In 1625, the Dutch fortress of Breda, besieged by the Spanish, fell. The commander of Breda, Justin Nassau, presents the keys to the fortress to the Spanish general Spinola. In the center of the painting, the figures of the two commanders are depicted, with Nassau, wearing yellow clothes, bent under the weight of defeat, rushing towards the victor with the key in his hand. The Spaniards, dressed in black armor with a pink scarf over their shoulders, crowd together. The dense forest of spears (hence the second name of the painting, "Spears") creates the impression of the numerical superiority and power of the Spanish troops. "For its time, this painting was a revelation in terms of the truthfulness of the depiction of a historical event and the novelty of its artistic solution," writes L.L. Kagane.
Portraits still predominated in Velázquez's work. They became significantly more diverse in composition and painterly solutions. As an example, the works from the 1630s can be mentioned - hunting and equestrian portraits of Philip IV and members of his family (1630s). The classical clarity of composition and the refinement of color relationships are combined in these large paintings with exceptional persuasiveness and pictorial freedom in the interpretation of landscapes.
During the 1630s-1640s, Velázquez created a series of portraits of dwarfs and jesters. Through the jester's mask, the great master saw the spiritual world of these people, who were disadvantaged by nature, and depicted them without any hint of mockery, with simplicity and tact.
In 1649, Velázquez traveled to Italy again, this time not as an unknown young artist but as a renowned master. The paintings he created in Rome brought him even greater fame. Among them, the portrait of Pope Innocent X, executed around 1650, holds exceptional significance.
V.I. Razdolskaya writes, "Velázquez portrayed him sitting in a chair, in a calm but tension-filled pose. The dominant red tones resound especially intensely in the warm light that permeates the figure, giving it an extraordinary liveliness. Innocent X was unattractive, and Velázquez did not seek to embellish his appearance. However, the great inner strength and temperament can be read in the pope's rough face, in his penetrating heavy gaze from small eyes. Before us stands not a spiritual figure, but rather an intelligent, cruel, and energetic secular ruler. The sharpness of characterization, deep psychological insight, and exceptional skill in painting make this work one of the highest achievements of world portrait art. Innocent X found the portrait 'too true,' but generously rewarded the artist for it."
Afraid of losing Velázquez, Philip IV sent him an angry letter, and in 1651, the artist returned to Spain. Philip IV elevated him to the highest position in the state - Grand Marshal. Now, Velázquez finally gained complete independence. He created his only depiction of a naked woman, "Venus and Cupid."
Unfortunately, the artist was already seriously ill at that time. He had to exert more effort to work at the easel. After attending the wedding ceremony of the king's daughter and the French king Louis XIV, Velázquez fell ill and died a few hours later. This happened on August 6, 1660.