The Highlights of the Life and Works of Diego Velasquez

Painting is an example of the most sublime art forms, giving the painter a a method to communicate to his or her audience in a very unique way; there have been many movements in painting from abstract to realist, but the purpose and spirit is the same. It’s not a surprise that many people are bewitched by its beauty of this art form; throughout history, paintings have fulfilled many different purposes for the painter and the patrons.

Spain has been regarded as a country that has a number of museums that displays an enormous collection of rare paintings. If you are really interested in learning more about this, it would also be beneficial if you can study about Spain’s language and culture through reading and studying online or through books. If you are really fascinated of learning more about this, there are online resources with the likes of Rocket Spanish which have the service of basic lessons on both culture and language free of charge and readily downloadable from their website. Rocket Spanish Download is a Computer Assisted Language Learning that can help you speak Spanish fluently.

A lot of Spanish painters have made a name for themselves and left such great artworks, especially during the time of El Siglo de Oro, or Spain’s Golden Age; a number of Spain’s most excellent painters emerged during that time. One such famous painter which the world recognizes as a master in this area of art is Diego Velasquez. He was friends with King Philip IV and his chief minister as his paintings were widely admired by everyone and in every piece he made, Velasquez presented his skill and style.

Born in a minor nobility family back in June 5, 1599 and the first born in a brood of six, Diego Velasquez flourished as a young painter at a very early age. Velasquez’s talent was so obvious that at the young age of eleven, he began his apprenticeship with another master of the arts at that time whose name was Francisco Pacheco. He then married the daughter of Pacheco and Velasquez made paintings of religious themes and tavern pieces, which is greatly admired by a lot of people, and with all the earnings he saved, he got a good house for them and another house to be rented out.

Diego Velasquez’s career was marked by numerous masterpiece of exceptional artworks in the realistic style which gave him a lot of attention; something that not a lot of painters enjoyed during his time. One of most well-known paintings that came alive under his brush was The Surrender of Breda which he painted after meeting the great Marques de Spinola; Spinola was in awe after seeing the details of The Surrender of Breda, wondering at Diego Velasquez’s ability to capture such emotions and realism through his brush strokes. However, The Surrender of Breda, as good as it is, will not be Velasquez’ greatest masterpiece that has been talked, discussed and put into knowledge in any era; Las Meninas or The Maids in Honour is the masterpiece that is regarded as the most viewed painting in the world and because of its fame, even people who does not know much about painting knows Diego Velasquez and his Las Meninas.

These are only but a few of the masterpieces and narrations about Spain’s Diego Velasquez; an exceptional Master in the world of painting, that deserves honor and is truly ahead of his own time.

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