The World Of Vel Zquez 1599 1660

All throughout his fruitful career, Velázquez painted the powerful just as well as the ordinary Spanish people. His body of work bears the imprint of realism worthy of the greatest Flemish masters of the period, and despite outside influences, he undeniably succeeded in developing his own artistic principles. Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) is one of the world's most famous artists. Representative of 17th-century European painting, he worked for the Spanish court and for the most important personalities, completing numerous portraits. In addition to numerous renditions of scenes of historical and cultural significance, passionate about the human figure, his oeuvreofhis long artistic career of more than forty yearsalso encompasses representations of daily life in the taverns of Spain. Considered the father of Spanish painting, Velázquez inspired entire generations of artists who followed him, including Picasso, Dalí, and Bacon. His mysterious painting Las Meninas, which contains the essence of his work, is still today an inexhaustible source for writing and research.

Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) est l'un des peintres les plus célèbres au monde. Caractéristique de la peinture européenne du XVIIe siècle, il travaille pour la cour et les grands de son époque, signant de nombreux portraits. Mais, passionné par la figure humaine, son Œuvre comprend également des bodegones, ces représentations de la vie quotidienne dans les tavernes et les cuisines. Considéré comme le père de la peinture espagnole, il inspire des générations entières d'artistes à sa suite comme Picasso, Dalí ou Bacon. Son mystérieux tableau Les Ménines, qui renferme l'essence de son travail, est aujourd'hui encoreune source intarissable d'écrits et de recherches

The astonishing artwork of Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) had an immediate impact upon both his contemporaries and later artists. Most of the information available on his life and incomparably successful career comes from the two biographies collected in this insightful volume. "This Life," part of Francisco Pacheco's theoretical work Art of Painting, has never been translated before, and reveals the degree to which Velázquez's work challenged the tenets of traditional painting. Antonio Palomino's biography contains details of Velázquez's life but also tackles the wider aesthetic debate engendered by his subject matter and style. Richly illustrated with Velázquez's key works, this collection provides insight into the mind and world of a great painter.