Velazquez

1
Velazquez

• (Diego De Silva Velazquez)
• His men and women seem to breath.

2
His Life

• In 1599, he was born in Seville, Spain
• Beginning at age 12, he served as apprentice for
  5 years to Francisco Pacheco, an artist in
  Seville.
• In 1618, he married his mentors daughter, Juana.
  They had 2 daughters, Ignacia and Francisca.

3
His LifeCont.

• He went to Madrid in 1623 to paint a portrait of
  King Phillip IV and won immediate success and
  appointment as the court painter.
• He was named the Artist of the Royal Chamber
  and became a friend of the king as well as the
  favorite artist of the royal family.

4
His LifeCont.

• He went to Italy for 2 years in 1629 to learn
  techniques of Italian masters such as Titian, who
  had the greatest influence on his style.
• He painted a portrait of Pope Innocent X which
  won him immediate and lasting fame in Italy.
• In August of 1660, he died at the age of 61.

5
His Style

• He painted varied subjects including portraits of
  the royal family, landscapes, mythological and
  religious subjects, and scenes of common life.
• A master of realism, he used exquisite detail and
  it is said that he captured the souls of the
  people he painted.

6
His Style-Cont.

• He painted everyone with equal dignity and
  realism from the lowest peasant to the highest
  noble.
• He established the importance of using light
  shadow to create the illusion of distance.
• He is called The Painters Painter because he
  is said to have the greatest influence on Western
  art than any other painter.

7
His Style-Cont.

• Legend it is said that he signed his works
  pintor del rey (the kings painter) and that
  the king then changed it to el rey de los
  pintores (the king of painters)
• Id rather be the first painter of common things
  that second in higher art. (Velazquez)

8
Velazquez Las Meninas 1656 (his magnus opus)

• Creates a remarkable illusion of reality never
  surpassed by himself or any other artist of his
  age
• Nearly life-sized figures canvas is 11 feet by 9
  feet so many 19th century critics saw this as an
  anticipation of the invention of the camera,
  capturing a snapshot in time and space.
• This is a casual scene showing himself painting a
  portrait of the king and queen in the presence of
  La Infanta Margarita and her attendants.

9
Velazquez Las Meninas 1656 (his magnus opus)

• Many complexities make this one of the most
  talked about paintings in the world
• The infanta is the most central figure and the
  light from the window on the right falls on her
  more that the surrounding figures
• She and the figures around her look outward thus
  acknowledging the presence of the viewers (us)

10
Velazquez Las Meninas 1656 (his magnus opus)

• We are made to be part of the painting in this
  way-observer observed
• Our role is revealed by the image in the mirror,
  we are in the position of the king and queen
• But, due to the position of the mirror, the
  reflection is not of the king and queen but of
  their image on the canvas on which Velazquez is
  painting.
• So, Velazquez places us in the painting next to
  the king queen as they pose thus making us part
  of royalty

11
VelazquezForge of Vulcan (1630)

1. Portrays the movement in Roman mythology when
   Apollo comes to tell Vulcan that his wife, Venus,
   is having an affair with Mars, the god of war.
   He tells him this as Vulcan is in the process of
   forging weapons of war for Mars.
2. He emphasizes the action of the telling, the
   surprised looks on the other smiths and the look
   of fury in Vulcans face.
3. While Apollo has an aura of light, he as well as
   Vulcan look like ordinary people and they are not
   idealized.

12
VelazquezSurrender at Breda (1634-1635)
1. Breda was a city near the frontier of Holland
proper. 2. The siege of Breda was a clash between
two famous generals, Spinola of Spain and Nassau
of the Netherlands. Nassau led hostilities
against Spinola but died before the end of the
siege. His successor unsuccessfully attempted to
revive Dutch momentum, but ultimately surrendered
in May. 8. Spignolas success and bravery in the
battle inspired this painting as an emblem of
Spanish nationalism and as a tribute to Ambrogio
Spinola.
13
VelazquezSurrender at Breda (1634-1635)
The focus of the painting is not on the battle
itself, but rather the act of reconciliation.
The center of the painting is focused on the key
being given to Spinola. The terms of defeat at
Breda were some of the most honorable and lenient
of the time. The painting demonstrates the
glimpses of humanity that can be exposed as a
result of war, and commends Spinolas
consideration for Nassau and the Dutch army.
Velazquez capturees a moment of convergence
between Spanish power, restraint, and kindness in
the battle.
14
VelazquezWoman Frying Eggs (1618)

1. Shows the use of light and dark to create an
   almost photographic image
2. A strong light source illuminates the woman, her
   utensils, and the eggs
3. The background and the boy are in deep shadow
4. Demonstrates extreme realism with great detail
   given to everyday plates, cutlery, pans, pestles,
   jugs and mortars
5. Captures a moment in time