VELÁZQUEZ. THE COMPLETE PAINTING

VELÁZQUEZ (1599-1660)

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660), famous for his intriguing portraits of monarchs, courtiers and jesters, is considered one of the greatest painters of all time. Surrounded by canvases by Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto, Rubens and Van Dyck, Velázquez created a furore as painter at the cosmopolitan court of Philip IV during the Spanish Golden Age.

But it was not just Madrid that lay at his feet. Velázquez was also admired and famous at the imperial court of Vienna and the papal court in Rome for his disciplined, intelligent play with space, light and colour, which gives his paintings an exceptional dignity. His work was rediscovered in the 19th century and was the stimulus for the development of modern painting, particularly Realism and Impressionism.

The impassioned Velázquez expert Fernando Checa guides you in this beautiful, superbly illustrated reference work through the traditional interpretations that set the oeuvre of the master within the Realist school, and at the same time explores the more daring vision that links Velázquez with Classicism and the most progressive currents within the painting of his day.

Checa’s unusual approach and the comprehensive survey of Velázquez’ paintings show why the work of this master was so important for the development of modern art, and why the painter is regarded as a gifted artist almost without parallel.

The author:

Fernando Checa, director of the Prado from 1996 to 2001, is Professor of the History of Art at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. In 1992 he won the Premio Nacional de Historia with his book Felipe II, mecenas de las artes. He is the author of a number of monographs on patronage and art collecting in Golden Age Spain.