Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660) was one of the greatest artists of the Spanish Siglo de Oro. A native of Seville, Velázquez became in 1623, thanks to the decisive support of the Count-Duke of Olivares (1587-1645), the official painter to the court of Philip IV (1605-1665). In later years he painted his most famous portraits of the king, the valido and several members of the royal family. His art was greatly enriched by his two long stays in Italy, during which he made some of his most famous works, such as the Forge of Vulcan, Venus at her Mirror and the Portrait of Pope Innocent X. He returned to Spain where he continued to portray not only members of the royal family, as well as dwarfs and court jesters, and immortalized one of the most significant events of the war of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) with the Surrender of Breda. In Las Meninas, considered his masterpiece, Velázquez represented himself next to the royal family and other protagonists of the life of the court.