About the Artist

Diego Velazquez (1599 Sevillle-1660 Madrid) was trained by Francisco Herrere the Elder and, from 1613-1617, by Francisco Pacheco in Seville. In 1622 and 1623 he took his first trips to Madrid with Pacheco. At that time Velazquez gained the attention and favour of King Philip IV (1605-1665), who appointed him court painter. In 1627 his swiftly rising court career began, culminationg in the office of Lord Chamberlain in 1652. In 1628 he became acquainted with Peter Paul Rubens in Madrid. He traveled to Italy from 1629 to 1631 and from 1649 to 1651 to buy Renaissance and neoclassical works of art for the Spanish royal house. In Rome, Velazquez joined the Accademia di San Luca in 1650. Through the intercession of the Spanish king he was made a knight of the Order of Santiago in 1658. Considered the most important 17th-century Spanish painter, Velazquez was involved in all forms of his trade. His works include Adoration of the Magi, 1619, Museo del Prado, Madrid; The Triumph of Vacchus, c. 1629, Museo del Pardo, Madrid; and Venus Before her Mirror, 1651, National Gallery, London.