Spain’s Greatest Painter: Diego Velázquez

You must be familiar with the famous Spanish painter Picasso, but before him, during the Baroque period, Spain had another great painter—Diego Velázquez.

Spain’s Greatest Painter: Diego Velázquez

1. Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) was a renowned Spanish painter of the Baroque period, highly favored by the Spanish royal family. He was not only the court’s chief painter but also the artistic director of the royal palace. His works are considered rare masterpieces of realism in 17th-century Europe. With bold brushstrokes and a summary-style technique, he achieved a groundbreaking artistic expression. His most famous masterpiece, Las Meninas, is regarded as one of the “Three Great Paintings of the World.”
2. Velázquez’s full name was Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez. He was born in Seville, a historic and cultural city in Spain, and displayed exceptional artistic talent from a young age. As a young man, he gained royal recognition by offering to paint portraits for the king, gradually rising to become a court painter. Velázquez was undoubtedly a master of the Baroque era and Spain’s greatest painter, profoundly influencing later artists, especially the Impressionists.
3. Velázquez inherited the traditions of Caravaggio, particularly in his use of light and shadow. His painting The Water Seller of Seville showcases strong contrasts of light and dark, similar to Caravaggio’s works. However, unlike Caravaggio’s extreme chiaroscuro, Velázquez’s shading contains intricate details, such as the fine textures on the water jugs and glass cups—elements missing in Caravaggio’s more starkly contrasted style. This demonstrates how Velázquez not only inherited artistic traditions but also infused them with his own innovative thinking.
4. The Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens played a crucial role in Velázquez’s career. While serving as a diplomat in Spain, Rubens recognized Velázquez’s extraordinary artistic talent and strongly encouraged him to study in Italy, where he could experience firsthand the artistic achievements of the Renaissance masters. Thanks to Rubens’ recommendation, Velázquez was granted the opportunity to study in Italy for two years, allowing him to absorb and develop the techniques of the great masters.
5. Velázquez’s most famous work, Las Meninas, is ranked alongside Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Rembrandt’s The Night Watch as one of the “Three Great Paintings of the World.” It carries an air of mystery and is not easily understood at first glance. Upon closer observation, one notices a mirror in the center-left of the painting reflecting the images of King Philip IV and his queen. This reveals that the artist depicted in the painting is actually painting a portrait of the royal couple, who stand outside the frame. The entire scene is constructed from the perspective of the king and queen, making them both the subject of the painting and our own viewpoint as viewers.
6. Velázquez was a master of realism, portraying people and scenes as they truly were, rather than in the idealized perfection of classicism. In Las Meninas, for example, he enhanced the realism by painting the rough wooden back of an easel prominently in the foreground—an unusual choice in traditional, refined paintings. However, this unconventional detail plays a crucial role in making the scene feel more authentic.
7. The significance of Las Meninas extends beyond its fame. Velázquez introduced the concept of the “second-person perspective” in painting—an approach more commonly seen in literature. Most paintings use a third-person perspective, where viewers observe the scene passively. A first-person perspective, like in the works of Hieronymus Bosch, presents a scene from an omniscient viewpoint. In contrast, Velázquez’s second-person perspective actively involves the viewer; the painting is incomplete without their interaction. To fully grasp Las Meninas, one must consider their own viewpoint and role within the artwork.
8. Velázquez’s painting technique was remarkably efficient, characterized by bold, expressive brushstrokes. His portrait Pope Innocent X is particularly striking—the figure appears vivid and lifelike, yet upon closer inspection, the brushstrokes are rough rather than meticulously detailed. The folds of the pope’s robe and its reflections are rendered with just a few strokes of white paint. This raw, gestural approach marked a significant departure from the smooth realism of the Renaissance, offering a truer reflection of how people perceive the world around them.