Born in Seville, Spain. Naturalist painter of the Baroque period, devoted to portraits, landscapes, scenes of daily life, religious and mythological paintings. At 21, Velasquez and is a well recognized artist in his hometown. As a reference to achieve the style and dazzling technique that characterize it, studied painting replicas of paintings by El Greco, adopting the high contrast between light and shadow used by the latter, a feature that maintains throughout his career. Rubens knew closely and shared with him for several months in Madrid. Then when he visited Italy at age 29, made replicas of the Tintoretto in Venice and later in Rome he did so with works by Raphael and Michelangelo. In Spain he was court painter to King Philip IV, which he painted many portraits, which also made with other members of the royal family. The naturalism of Vel zquez is unique. Its coloration sometimes platinum, other diamond, provides a photographic look hard to imitate. No doubt the master of Velasquez notoriously influenced several generations of Spanish and foreign artists.
