Diego Velázquez (June 6, 1599 - August 6, 1660) was the greatest Spanish painter of the late Renaissance and had a great influence on later painters. Born in Seville, southwestern Spain, he was a realist painter who Francesco Goya considered his "one of the great teachers."

Velázquez's full name is Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez. He was born in Seville, southwestern Spain. His father, Juan Rodríguez de Silva, was a small aristocrat and lawyer with his ancestral home in Portugal. His mother, Lolima Velázquez, was a noble family in Seville. According to local custom, his surname follows the one of his parents with a higher family background, so he takes his mother's surname.

Most of Velasquez's works were originally hidden in museums in Madrid. They were known to the outside world during the French invasion of Spain in 1811, but they were not destroyed or stolen by the occupying forces because they wanted to be enjoyed by the public.

Velasquez is a realistic painter. Normally, he only paints what he sees. The characters he paints seem to almost walk out of the picture. Although he has also painted some religious paintings, the statues among them are as tense and painful as those in the world. His horses and dogs are full of vitality.

After being appraised by the appraiser Curtis, there are 274 works of Velasquez in existence, of which 121 are in England, 13 in France, 12 in Austria, 7 in Russia, and 7 in Germany. However, only 14 of the works in England are believed to be his original works.

Most of Velasquez's other works are in the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, with more than 60 on display. Unfortunately, his works were not collected in his hometown, the literary and artistic center of Spain, and Seville, the main trade center of the New World at that time.

Velasquez's life was stable. He was well educated when he was a child. He showed his talent for painting early. He studied under Herrera, the most famous painter in Seville at that time. Herrera did not approve of Seville painting at that time following Italian fashion. He was a bold and imaginative painter, but had a bad temper. Most of his students left him halfway. Velasquez was the same. He only studied with him for one year, but this year had an impact on his life. Velasquez learned from him how to use long-tipped brushes. Therefore, the colors in Velasquez's paintings seem to be gently painted and floating on the screen, making it far beyond the reach of future generations.

Velázquez came to study with Bachico for 5 years. Bachico was not very talented, but liked to study theory, and some good works were also imitated by Raphael's style. Here in Bachico, Velázquez learned composition and perspective, and became familiar with the literary and artistic circles of Seville. He persisted in his training in sketching, drawing everything - pottery pots, birds, fish, fruits, flowers, and ordinary people in the countryside. He hired a rural child as his servant and model, made him make various expressions - crying, laughing, etc., and painted a large number of heads. He studied many of Bachico's books, and most importantly married Bachico's daughter.

He already had a certain reputation in Seville. His wife gave birth to two daughters, the younger daughter died, and the eldest daughter married a painter. During this period, he created some still-life paintings and genre paintings, such as "The Woman with Fried Eggs", "The Water Picker" (painting his wife), "Breakfast", "The Water Vendor", and some religious paintings such as "The Pilgrimage of Christ and Emma", "St. John in the Desert", etc. During this period, he used a lot of warm colors to express everyday life. St. John was like a young farmer.

In 1622, when he was 23 years old, he began to go to Madrid to find a job. He brought a letter of introduction to the then minister Foncia, but it was not taken seriously and only spent a few months with Foncia's servants. However, he may have already attracted attention. In the following year, the prime minister of King Philip IV recruited him back for 50 gold coins. This time his father-in-law accompanied him to Madrid. It is said that he painted a portrait of the minister, which was praised by the king. In 1924, Philip IV gave him a settlement of 500 gold coins, took the family to Madrid, and began to serve at the court until his death.

Philip IV was mediocre and lazy, but he loved art. He soon discovered the talent of Velasquez and announced that he would no longer allow other painters to paint his own portraits. He paid Velasquez 20 gold coins a month, plus medical expenses, provided free housing, and paid extra for each painting he painted. During the remaining 36 years of his life, he remained Velasquez's protector and friend. Velasquez painted many portraits of the king during this period, but few have survived. There are also two portraits of the king in the Prado Museum. During this period, Velasquez's painting style changed and became more detailed.

In 1628, Rubens came to Madrid as a diplomatic envoy from the Netherlands and stayed for nine months. Velasquez was appointed by the king to receive him and serve as his guide to visiting Spanish art treasures. Rubens's reputation at that time was already at its peak. His artistic insights must have benefited Velasquez a lot, but they did not fundamentally change Velasquez's Spanish style. He admired Velasquez's talent very much. He strongly persuaded Velasquez to go to Italy to observe the works of those great painters.

In 1627, the king held a painting competition among Spanish painters, and Velazquez won. The winning prize was to be appointed as a noble servant, an increase of 12 silver coins per day (equivalent to the salary of a court barber), and a clothing fee of 90 gold coins per year (equivalent to the clothing fee of a court clown). In 1926, his work "Bacus, the God of Bacchus", also won a reward of 100 gold coins. The Spanish name of this painting is also called "Drunks", which actually depicts typical Spanish rural customs.

In 1629, Philip IV authorized Velasquez to travel to Italy, and his salary was paid. He was also given 400 gold coins, and the prime minister gave him another 200 gold coins. He took a boat from Barcelona, accompanied by the Marquis of Spinola, who went to Milan to command his army. The Marquis of Spinola was the conqueror of Breda in the Netherlands. He came to Velasquez to paint "The Surrender of Breda".

Velasquez's work "Portrait of Pope Innocent X" Velasquez visited Venice, Rome, Florence and other places. At that time, Italy was under Spanish control. Velasquez received preferential treatment in various places. He copied the works of many masters. He lived in the Medici villa in Florence and created some landscape paintings. He lived in Rome for a year and created "The Forge of Vulcan". Returning in 1631, the king prepared a key to his studio and stood there for several hours every day. He painted a large number of portraits and accompanied the king on his travels throughout the country. There are about 40 portraits of the king in existence, and many portraits of kings, princes and princesses were also painted. On his second visit to Italy in 1648, he was ordered to buy works of art for the king everywhere, and in 1650 he lived in Rome for a year, befriending the French painters Poussin, Claude Laurent, and some famous Italian painters. He was entertained by the Pope, and as a thank you, he painted a portrait of Pope Innocent X. A bishop is said to have passed by the door where the painting was hung, turned around and whispered to his companions, "Speak quietly, the Pope is here." Its authenticity was generally praised. Velasquez was admitted as a foreign member of the Roman Academy of Painting, the Sanhedrin of St. Luke.

Art historians divide Velasquez's works into three periods, the first period before his first visit to Italy, and the third period after his second visit to Italy. However, Velasquez's works are rarely dated and can only be divided based on painting style.

In 1651, Velázquez returned home and was immediately promoted to the position of "governor of the court". He created Venus in front of the mirror, which was the first nude in religiously strict Spain and one of only two nudes in Spanish history (the other was Goya's "Nude Maha"). In 1656, he created two of his most famous works, "The Palace of Elegance" and "The Spinneret". The composition of "The Spinneret" and the contrast of light and shade had greatly influenced Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet.

Velasquez's work "Venus in front of the mirror" was so busy with court chores that he could no longer create a large-scale creation. In 1660, he prepared for the wedding of the Spanish princess and King Louis XIV of France on a small island in the river at the border between France and Spain. He organized the establishment of a luxurious wedding hall on a deserted island and prepared for the entire journey of the royal family. In Madrid, people had already rumored that he was exhausted. When he came back tired to the surprise of his family, he still had to wait for the king's July 31st feast and went home. That is, he could not get up and died on August 6th. Exhausted.

He was buried in the San Juan Church, and eight days later, his wife was buried next to him. But the church was destroyed during the French invasion in 1811, and its cemetery is now nowhere to be found.

Velasquez never founded a school, and when he died, the Kingdom of Spain fell very quickly, and it wasn't until 200 years ago that his greatness was rediscovered.

Woman Fried Eggs