Velazquez

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (Spanish: Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, June 6, 1599 - August 6, 1660) was a painter of the late Renaissance, Baroque era, and Spanish Golden Age. He greatly inspired later painters. Francisco Goya considered him "one of his great teachers." He usually only painted what he saw, and the characters he painted were described as almost walking out of the picture; he also painted religious paintings, which were like the human world, full of tension and pain; the horses and dogs he painted were full of vitality. Due to Spain's strict religious policies, most of his works were originally collected in Madrid museums and were unknown to the outside world. During the French invasion of Spain in 1811, they became known to the outside world. However, the occupation forces did not destroy or steal these paintings because they wanted the public to appreciate them. After appraisal by the appraiser Curtis, 274 works of Velazquez exist in the world, of which 121 are in the UK, 13 in France, 12 in Austria, 7 in Russia, and 7 in Germany. However, Brut believes that only 14 of the works in the UK are his authentic works. Most of his remaining works are collected in the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, with more than 60 pieces on display. Art historians divide his works into three periods, the first period before his first visit to Italy, and the third period after his second visit to Italy. However, Velazquez's works are rarely dated and can only be divided based on the painting style.