Diego Veláquez

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, or Diego Veláquez for short, was a Spanish Baroque painter. He served

as an artist in the court of King Philip IV, being one of the most important painters of the Spanish Golden Age.

Life

Diego was born in Seville, Spain in 1599. Both parents were born in Seville, whilst the grandparents originally came from Porto, Portugal. He was taught by his parents to fear God at a young age. He was taught by the artist Francisco de Herrera for a period in his youth. By the 1620s, Diego was establishing himself as a painter in the Seville area. In 1623, he was secured a spot as the royal painter of King Philip IV. One of his most famous works, Las Meninas, was painted in 1656. He died of a fever in 1660.

Gallery

Old woman cooking eggs

The Surrender of Breda

Portrait of Pope Innocent X

Las Meninas