Gr9 Chapter18-1(Diego V. Social Studies)

Diego VelázquezGalleria degli Uffizi Florence / Dagli Orti / The Art Archive1599–1660Why he Made History The period between the mid-1500s and the mid-1600s is known as the Golden Age of Spanish art. Throughout this period, Spanish art and culture became influential all over Europe. Many Spanish artists rose to prominence, including Diego Velázquez. His paintings represent some of the greatest achievements of Spanish art.As you read the biography below, think about the ways in which Diego Velázquez displayed inventiveness in his rise to become one of Spain’s greatest painters.Diego Velázquez was born in 1599 in Seville, Spain. It is believed that his parents came from minor nobility. When he was 11, Velázquez became the apprentice of Francisco de Herrera the Elder, a painter in Seville. Herrera had a violent temper, leading Velázquez to become the apprentice of Francisco Pacheco in 1611. He studied with Pacheco for five years, and eventually married Pacheco’s daughter. Though Pacheco was not a great painter, he helped Velázquez develop his technique.At the age of 18, Velázquez joined a painter’s guild, which allowed him to set up a workshop of his own. In 1622, he traveled to Madrid, where he unsuccessfully tried to win a commission to paint a portrait of the king. Velázquez’s work did begin to gain notice, however. The next year, he was asked to return to Madrid. One of the king’s ministers asked Velázquez to paint a portrait of Philip IV. The king approved of the portrait and announced that Velázquez alone could paint portraits of the royal family. Velázquez continued to work for the royal family for the rest of his life.In 1629, Velázquez journeyed to Italy, where he studied the work of great Italian painters. In 1648, he was sent back to Italy to purchase works by Italian artists for the king’s palace. During this trip, he received the honor of painting a portrait of the Pope. Upon returning to Spain, Velázquez continued to gain acclaim. He received one of his highest honors in 1659 when he became a knight. He died the following year while helping plan the wedding of the king’s daughter.Velázquez’s art continued to develop and improve throughout his life. His works are renowned for their skillful use of color and their different brushstrokes that show light and texture. Velázquez remains an important figure in art history. He had a major influence on later artists, such as the French Impressionist painters of the nineteenth century.