Born in Seville in 1599, Velázquez trained under Francisco Pacheco, whose daughter he later married. While he mastered traditional techniques in Pacheco’s workshop, Velázquez embraced a more modern approach, often painting directly from life. Setting up his own studio in 1617, the artist's early works included religious paintings, such as The Immaculate Conception (c.1618).
A portrait he produced of King Philip IV in 1623 secured his appointment as a court painter. This meant Velázquez spent much of his career at the Spanish court in Madrid, where he produced an extraordinary series of portraits that evoked courtly grandeur while maintaining a striking psychological depth.
Journeys to Italy in 1629 and 1649 exposed Velázquez to Renaissance and Baroque painting. Works such as The Surrender of Breda (1635) demonstrate his ability to combine historical narrative with human observation, while Las Meninas (1656) offers a profound meditation on representation, perception and the role of the artist. Velázquez died in Madrid in 1660.
The artist’s influence on later generations of painters was profound, notably upon Édouard Manet and the Impressionists, who admired his tonal subtlety and painterly freedom. Today, his works are held in collections worldwide, including the National Gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Studio of Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (Seville 1599-1660 Madrid)
Portrait of Don Diego de Acedo, El Primo
Studio of Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (Seville 1599-1660 Madrid)
Portrait of the Infante Baltasar Carlos (1629-1646), son of King Philip IV of Spain and his wife Isabella of Bourbon, bust-length
Circle of Diego Velázquez (Seville 1599-1660 Madrid)
Portrait of the Infante Baltasar Carlos (1629-1646), son of King Philip IV of Spain and his wife Isabella of Bourbon, full-length, in armour with a red sash
FOLLOWER OF DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of Queen Mariana of Austria (1634-1696), half-length
After Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez
Las Meninas
MANNER OF DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of a Spanish infanta, probably Margarita Teresa (1651-1673), bust-length
AFTER DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of Philip IV (1605-1665), King of Spain, bust-length, in armor with a red sash
MANNER OF DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of the Infante Felipe Próspero, Prince of Asturias (1657-1661), full-length
After Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez
Portrait of Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), bust-length, in a black coat with a gold chain
AFTER DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of Mariana of Austria (1634-1696), Queen of Spain, three-quarter-length, in a black guardainfante with silver and lace embellishments, holding a fan
FOLLOWER OF DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DA SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of a woman, bust-length, wearing a lace trimmed golilla collar
AFTER DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of a lady, probably Leonor María de Gúzman (1591–1654), Countess of Monterrey, half-length, in a brocade cloth of gold doublet and a black damask over-gown
AFTER DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of a gentleman, possibly identifiable as José Nieto (1600⁄10-1684), bust-length
AFTER DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of a young man, half-length
Manner of Diego Velázquez
Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length, in a black coat and white ruff
After Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez
Portrait of Philip IV of Spain, bust length, in black
FOLLOWER OF DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ
Portrait of Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665), bust-length, wearing the Order of the Golden Fleece
ÉCOLE DU XIX E SIÈCLE, D’APRÈS JUAN BAUTISTA MARTINEZ DEL MAZO
Portrait de l'infant Baltasar Carlos d'Espagne (1629-1646)