Diego Velazquez: A collection of 133 paintings (HD)
His complex artworks with realistic subjects, infusing life onto the canvas, made him
one of the most admired painters in Europe during the 17th century, or rather the
Spanish Golden Age. Not only did he possess a god-gifted talent to capture life into
paintings, but he was also capable of giving them a true feel. Diego Velazquez
was, undoubtedly, the most significant Spanish painter who popularized Western art in
his own naturalistic style, playing with brushstrokes and color palettes. His stunning paintings
were typically a blend of both bright and dull color schemes, especially blacks, greys, reds
and blue-greens. The royal Venetian paintings, belonging to the 16th century, played a
major role in drawing him towards visual impressions, evident from the numerous masterpieces
he created during his entire life. What added to his popularity of using unique techniques
and different styles in painting portraits was his employment as a leading artist in the royal court
of King Philip IV, who refused to get his portrait painted by no one else except Velazquez. His
paintings mostly depicted religious themes and cultural subjects, though he composed innumerable
portraits that talked of the members of the Spanish royal family, significant European figures, as
well as the common man.
Greco