Diego Velasquez Research Paper

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Research Paper on Diego Velasquez
"I would rather be the first painter of common things than second in higher art." (http://www.historyofpainters.com/valasquez.htm)
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, known as one of the greatest painters in western art, was the court painter of the King of Spain, Philip IV, and was one of the most influential painters of all time. His legendary portraits showed truth rather than beauty. Some of the magnificent paintings he created was the portrait of Pope Innocent X and the portrait of his slave/assistant, Juan de Pareja.
Velasquez’s legacy began when he went became the apprentice of Francisco Pacheco at age 11, a relatively famous painter at the time. Although he spent much of his time drawing religious paintings, he had much interest in paintings that showed naturalism. After 6 years of apprenticeship, velasquez got the opportunity to take a portrait of the Duke of Olivares due to his Master, Francisco Pacheco. The Duke of Olivares recommended velasquez to the King, and so velasquez painted the king as well. The King decided that no other person will make a portrait of himself and appointed velasquez as the court painter. …show more content…

This beautiful piece of art was painted in Rome and exhibited beneath the portico of the Pantheon in March 1650. It is said that with all the applause it received many thought everything else was art, but this alone like truth. This brilliant canvas showed Juan de Pareja with nice clothes but with little points such as rips to show that he is of a lower class. Aside from the astounding artwork that this portrait showed, it also expressed the true bonds between master and slave, Diego Velasquez and Juan de Pareja. The popularity of the oil canvas that velasquez painted before painting the portrait of Pope Innocent X was breathtakingly surprising and to this day it is known wide in the name of Diego

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