"Acclaimed for its blending of realism with atmosphere, and for its deeply sensitive appreciation of character, the work of Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez (1599 1660) represents the undeniable pinnacle of the golden age of Spanish painting. Born in Seville but of Portuguese origin, Velazquez became Court Painter to Philip IV in 1623. A steady worker, using primarily sombre low-toned coloring, he met Rubens in 1628, and soon after made a first trip to Italy. The pictures painted there reveal a growing interest in both color range and in the male nude. Velazquez only returned to Italy once again in the late 1640s, where he painted his famous portrait of Pope Innocent X and his only female nude, the Rokeby Venus . But his greatness lies perhaps in his empathetic studies of such characters as the dwarf playmates of the royal children. The weathering of the skin, rags and mortality, as well as the ageing face of the despondent monarch increasingly preoccupied him in later years. The power, insight and brilliant technique of these paintings were to prove profoundly influential on such later artists as Manet, Delacroix, Picasso and Bacon."--Wheelers.co.nz.
Record details
ISBN:9783836532105
ISBN:3836532107
Physical Description:print 95 pages : illustrations ; 27 cm.
Edition:English edition.
Publisher:Köln :Taschen,2016.
Content descriptions
Formatted Contents Note:
From kitchen to palace -- The psychology of power -- A humane equilibrium -- Enigmas and reflections--riddles in paint -- Diego Velázquez 1599-1660 life and work.