You may well have heard of Velázquez, the famous court painter of Philip IV of Spain and the artist that painted Las Meninas in El Prado in Madrid.  But did you know that he was exhibiting in the National Gallery?  Yes for the first time ever in Britain, there is a major Exhibition dedicated to one of the greatest painters of all time.  Answer English went to investigate this Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition and would strongly recommend it. 

The exhibition runs until the 21 January.  You are advised to book tickets in advance to avoid queues because certainly when we were there, 10:00am bright eyed and bushy tailed it was very busy!  For more information go to the National Gallery Website.

If you aren’t very familiar with Velázquez, here is my guide to him that I produces in my column inside European Vibe magazine:

Who was Velázquez? And what of his art? His flair for diverse brushstrokes, his subtle use of harmonies of colour, and his ability to achieve effects of atmosphere, space and light meant he was the forerunner for 19th century French Impressionism.  For many to understand Velazquez is to understand art itself.  Our man of culture, James Herbertson, brushes over the life of ‘the painter of painters.’ 

From the aristocracy of Seville

Born Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez, ‘Velázquez’ was the son of Juan, a Portuguese lawyer of noble descent, and Jeronima, a member of Seville’s hidalgo class (a sort of minor aristocracy).  From an early age he demonstrated a gift for art and was schooled in Seville under the artist Pacheco, known for his simple and direct realism in his art.  Here Velázquez ability to capture everyday human life, such as ‘An old woman cooking eggs’ or ‘Tavern Scene’, blossomed.

To the royal court of Madrid

In December 1622, opportunity knocked at Velazquez’s door. Rodrigo de Villandro, Philip IV’s favourite painter had died and with the introduction of Olivares, the monarch’s right hand man, in 1623 the King sat for Velazquez. So pleased with the results Philip quickly ordered that Velazquez should move to Madrid and become his official painter. At a relatively young age Velazquez was catapulted into the most powerful court in the world, that of the Spanish empire. Here he remained until his death in 1660. Such was the acclaim that Velazquez wrought, that all other portraits of the King were taken out of circulation.

Brushstrokes

From the humble ‘Water Seller from Seville’ to portraits of Philip IV you are drawn into the picture, the subjects reaching out to you.  So much you can almost feel the beat of their hearts and the air of their breath. Velazquez chose not to portray his subjects in kindly light, but more with a warts and all approach.  So much so that he could be quite mischievous.  Take his portrait of Mars hung in El Prado.  Here the God of War is not shown as the almighty but as an exhausted, deflated even jaded, philanderer.

Technique

Not only was he capable of capturing a remarkable likeness of his sitters, but Velázquez was famed as an exceptional observer of human life.  He had an enormous talent for recording reality, so much so that his paintings sparkle with great human emotion.  Las Meninas, the chamber maids, is probably the best example of this.  The way the Infanta, the chamber maids and the painter himself look out seemingly inviting you in to this typical courtroom scene.  He creates an illusion that makes you wonder whether it is you admiring the subjects or whether you yourself are the subject of their attention.

Legacy

With the decline of the Spanish empire, so did the popularity of his work.  But by the 1850’s Velazquez’s star rose once again, and his place in art history was once again secure.  You can draw an artistic line from Italian masters through realism, impressionism and modernism that carve through Velazquez’s groundbreaking works.  His legacy is the inspiration for future realists and Impressionists such as Edouard Manet Spain’s Picasso, Goya, and Dali and Francis Bacon.  I urge you to head down to El Prado and see for yourself quite how great ‘the painter of painters’ really was.