When was Diego Velázquez born and where did he grow up?
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was baptized on the 6th of June 1599 in Seville. He grew up in modest circumstances within this southern Spanish city.
Questions about Diego Velázquez
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who taught Diego Velázquez art and when did their partnership begin?
Francisco Pacheco trained Diego Velázquez starting on the 10th of December 1610. A formal contract signed on the 17th of September 1611 extended their partnership to six years.
How much salary did Philip IV give Diego Velázquez for his court work?
Philip IV gave Diego Velázquez a salary of 20 ducats per month along with lodgings and payment for pictures. The king also ordered all other portraits withdrawn from circulation after approving Velázquez's work.
What happened during Diego Velázquez first trip to Italy between 1629 and 1631?
Diego Velázquez traveled through Venice Ferrara Cento Loreto Bologna and Rome between 1629 and January 1631. During this period he adopted light gray grounds instead of dark reddish ones used in earlier works.
When was Las Meninas completed and what does it depict?
Las Meninas was completed in 1656 four years before Diego Velázquez died. The painting features Margaret Theresa the eldest daughter of Queen Mariana of Austria and shows King Philip IV and Queen Mariana reflected in a mirror on the back wall.