Velázquez

Masterofillusion:Velázquez,virtuosooftheSpanishGoldenAgeCourtpaintertoKingPhilipIVofSpain,DiegoRodríguezdeSilvayVelázquez(June1599–August6,1660)isnotonlyaleadinglightoftheSpanishGoldenAge,butamongthemostcelebratedmastersinallWesternarthistory.MonetandRenoir,CorotandCourbet,DegasandDalíallhailedhisinfluence.PicassowassoinspiredbyhismasterpieceLasMeninasthathepainted44variationsofit.Velázquez’simportanceisfoundparticularlyinhisnaturalistapproach,incontrasttothemoreubiquitousidealizedmannerofhisage.Earlyworksincludednumerous“bodegones”,genrescenesofeverydaylifeinearly17thcenturySpain,inwhichwarm,richtonesandtexturessetoffthemostordinaryofsubjectsandhumbleoffaces,suchasOldWomanFryingEggs.Later,hisportraiturefortheRoyalCourtbroughtthesamenaturalismtothehighestechelonsofsociety,markingaprofoundshiftinthedepictionofroyaltywithsofter,morerelaxedposesthatofferedhissubjectsahumanwarmthandcharacterasmuchasasenseofgrandeur.Velázquez’smostfamouswork,LasMeninas,wasalsopaintedintheroyalcourt,butinitsenigmaticcompositionraisesmanybroaderquestionsaboutrealityandillusionandtherelationshipbetweenthepainter,painting,andviewer.ThisfreshTASCHENBasicArt2.0editionintroducesVelázquezthroughkeyworksfromthroughouthiscareer.Fromhumblegenrescenestotheroyalportraits,theexquisiteRockebyVenusnude,andtheever-mysterioiusLasMeninas,weexplorehisexceptionalattentiontocomposition,masterfulhandlingoftone,andhisremarkableinfluenceas,inManet’swords,“thegreatestpainterofall.”Abouttheseries:EachbookinTASCHEN’sBasicArtseriesfeatures:adetailedchronologicalsummaryofthelifeandoeuvreoftheartist,coveringhisorherculturalandhistoricalimportanceaconcisebiographyapproximately100illustrationswithexplanatorycaptions