Diego Velázquez (Siviglia 1599 - Madrid 1660) cerchia di

Diego Velázquez (Seville 1599 - Madrid 1660) circle of Portrait of a leader Oil on canvas 99 x 73,5 cm The painting shows significant elements of seventeenth-century Spanish portraiture and its greatest representative, namely Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez. Our canvas comes from the circle of artists who grew up under his influence, among them the most important pupils: Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo, Juan de Pareja and Juan Carreño de Miranda. Twelve years old, he entered Francisco Pacheco's workshop, immediately showing his talent. By 1618 he was already an independent artist, operating in his city painting with a strong Caravaggio influence. He moved to Madrid and became the official painter of Philip IV. He thus had the opportunity to explore the court collection and cultivated a special interest in the Venetian school and Titian in particular. Probably on the instructions of the Rubens he traveled twice to Italy, an opportunity to study closely the various schools of painting and the great masters, refining his style and focusing on the pictorial and environmental rendering of light. Loved and regarded by colleagues of his time, thanks to Alonso Cano and Zurbarán he was awarded the title of Knight of Santiago. His painting of sublime quality and realism was lived on after his departure thanks to his pupils, among them; Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo, Juan de Pareja and Juan Carreño de Miranda. Diego Velázquez (Seville 1599 - Madrid 1660) circle of Portrait of a Leader Oil on canvas 99 x 73,5 cm The painting shows significant elements of 17th-century Spanish portraiture and its greatest representative, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez. Our canvas was born in the circle of artists who grew up under his influence, among these the most important students: Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo, Juan de Pareja and Juan Carreño de Miranda.