Diego Velázquez

Diego Velázquez is considered to be the greatest painter of the Spanish Siglo de Oro of the 16th and 17th centuries. Masses of people still wonder at his works in museums, and his life and work continuously offer material for new and surprising research. Intimate glimpses into the work of the Spanish master, like in the drawings at hand, are rarer. Two preliminary sketches allow for the unmitigated retracing of the painting The Surrender of Breda. The mastery of Velázquez as a portrait-painter is evidenced by a drawing of the portrait of Cardinal Borgia and two busts of a girl. Additionally, a magnificent view of Grenada conveys the talent of the artist as a gifted observer of landscapes as well!

A Spanish Master

Diego Velázquez (1599–1660) was famous as a court painter of the Spanish King Philip IV. Such famous paintings as Las Meninas, the portraits of King Philip IV or his daughter, the Infanta Margarita, The Surrender of Breda, or the so-called bodegones (kitchen still-lifes) shape the fame of the important Siglo de Oro painter. A rare inside look into the grandiose work of this great master of Spain’s Golden Age is offered in six intimate sketches, which were probably never intended to be admired by the public, but demonstrate the special quality of Diego Velázquez’s work nonetheless.

Portraits, Preliminary Sketches, Landscapes

Two preliminary sketches of the famous Surrender of Breda, which was painted in the years 1634–35, allow us to comprehend the painting’s process of formation. The two character studies measuring 26 x 17 cm appear unspectacular at first glance, but their charm unfolds upon closer inspection. The portrait of Cardinal Borgia, measuring 19 x 11 cm, conveys an impression of the portrait painting that was produced by the artist for this cardinal. Additionally, two 20 x 13 cm sheets, one with the head of a girl and the other with the bust of a girl, appear truly masterful due to their insightful, psychologizing nature. The sixth sheet with a sketched view of Grenada measuring 30 x 19 cm completes this wonderful all-round view of the great master’s diverse skills.

Velasquez and Francisco Pacheco

The Diego Velázquez compendium additionally contains the text Tratado de la pintura en tres libros, por Francisco Pacheo vezino de Sevilla by Francisco Pacheo (1564–1644). He was Diego Velázquez’s teacher and father-in-law. Pacheo is additionally known as the Vasari of Seville, particularly because of his writings on art theory and history. Twelve great sheets offer an inside view in his Arte de la pintura, which he completed on January 24th, 1638. This text, instead of being combined with largely finished works of art, makes use of sketches that were intended for personal study, allowing an unadorned, direct insight into the method of the great painter Diego Velázquez!