Diego Velázquez

Biography

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was born on June 6, 1599, in Seville. He became one of the most outstanding painters of the Spanish Golden Age and the leading figure of the Madrid school. Velázquez was the court painter to King Philip IV and exerted significant influence on Spanish art. He worked in various genres, including portraiture, mythological painting, historical painting, religious art, architectural painting, genre scenes, landscape, nude, figure painting, animal painting, and still life. Among his famous works are "The Triumph of Bacchus," "Las Meninas," "Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan," "The Surrender of Breda," and "The Waterseller of Seville." Velázquez was part of the Baroque movement. Notable among his students were Esteban Murillo and Juan de Pareja. He is known for the statement: “I prefer to be the best at portraying ugliness than the second best at portraying beauty.” The artist died on August 6, 1660, in Madrid.