Learn About Diego Velazquez in Art History, View His Art and Famous Paintings
"The Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand as a Hunter,
1632/36, Diego Velazquez
Diego Velazquez, 1599-1660, one of Spain’s famous artists in art history was influenced by Caravaggio is his early works of art. He painted one of his most famous
paintings "The Water Carrier of Seville", in 1619 aged twenty. Velazquez’s artistic interest at
the time was 'naturalism', devoted to the true representation of nature regardless
of
the customary practices of the times.
"The Water Carrier of Seville" is a famous painting of an older man selling water in Spanish Seville. Diego Velazquez
uses the light into darkness art principle of Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio; adding the
balanced circular highlight composition of Gruenwald's "Crucifixion". Our eye
enters
into the painting through the boy's white collar on the left. We then move
to the
head of the water carrier, to the hole in his garment, to his white sleeve, then
to the
highlight of the earthenware jug, to the smaller jug on the table, over to the
water glass,
and finally back again to the boy's white collar.
Velazquez's representation of nature is so real that his objects seem to
really exist in
his famous paintings. As with Anthony van Dyck's portrait art, Velazquez had the
ability
to render the personality, dignity, spirit, and personality of the sitter.
From 1621 to 1665 Velazquez was appointed court painter to Philip IV of Spain
where
he mainly painted art portraits of the royal family. Meeting Rubens in the Spanish
court
helped Velazquez discover Titian's paintings among the kings collection.
Another Diego Velazquez's painting is "Pope
Innocent X painted in 1650,
using Caravaggio’s light to dark art technique.
Velazquez loosely paints the Pope's contrasting, highly highlighted
white clothing, against the cool reflective
red sheen jacket. The result creates surface tension matched by the Pope's
concentrated
gaze directly at the viewer.
Adding further to the aristocratic and perceptive authority of the Pope X is his head framed by the reflective edges of his throne-like chair. All in all these characteristics are
qualities of
Baroque art painting.
In 1656, Diego Velazquez painted one of his famous paintings in art history Las Meninas. The painting
is a portrait of
Princess Margarita and her maids, but also is an art painting recognizing Velazquez,
the
court painter, and a Knight in the Order of Santiago.
Velazquez inserts a full-length portrait of himself
standing behind a
large easel, wearing the cross symbol of the Santiago Order.
Velazquez inserts a full length portrait of himself into the painting standing behind a
large easel, wearing the cross symbol of the Santiago Order; rendering the painting we
are looking at.
Diego Velazquez shows his interest in light, direct and reflected, as it comes into the
low foreground right side of the painting. Instead of a Caravaggesque dark
background, he shows a new light source from behind an open door with light
reflecting off the door.
He is rendering the art
painting we
are now looking at.
Velazquez shows his interest in light, direct and reflected, as it comes
into the
low foreground right side of the famous painting. Instead of a Caravaggesque dark
background, he shows a new light source from behind an open door
reflecting directly off the door.
Diego Velazquez uses the same compositional artistic balance as the "Water Carrier",
only this
time it is an elliptical oval following the white highlights around the room that
includes the open back door, the reflection off the portrait of the King and Queen
hanging on the back wall, and the silver white highlight of Velazquez's own
sleeve. Other famous artists of the Baroque art period are Anthony van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens.
To view the entire gallery of Diego Velazquez paintings, click here.
Click on the graphics below to increase graphic sizes. At the same you time can also view an opportunity to purchase a poster or painting reproduction.
