Wolf, Norbert

Velazquez ed. 2016

Voted 0

ISBN: 9783836532105
Author : Wolf, Norbert
Published: 2016
Publisher: Taschen GmbH
Number of pages: 96
Language: English
Format: Hardback

Description

Court painter to King Philip IV of Spain, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (June 1599 – August 6, 1660) is not only a leading light of the Spanish Golden Age, but among the most celebrated masters in all Western art history. Monet and Renoir, Corot and Courbet, Degas and Dalí all hailed his influence. Picasso was so inspired by his masterpiece Las Meninas that he painted 44 variations of it.

Velázquez’s importance is found particularly in his naturalist approach, in contrast to the more ubiquitous idealized manner of his age. Early works included numerous “bodegones”, genre scenes of everyday life in early 17th century Spain, in which warm, rich tones and textures set off the most ordinary of subjects and humble of faces, such as Old Woman Frying Eggs.

Later, his portraiture for the Royal Court brought the same naturalism to the highest echelons of society, marking a profound shift in the depiction of royalty with softer, more relaxed poses that offered his subjects a human warmth and character as much as a sense of grandeur. Velázquez’s most famous work, Las Meninas, was also painted in the royal court, but in its enigmatic composition raises many broader questions about reality and illusion and the relationship between the painter, painting, and viewer.

This fresh TASCHEN Basic Art 2.0 edition introduces Velázquez through key works from throughout his career. From humble genre scenes to the royal portraits, the exquisite Rokeby Venus nude, and the ever-mysterious Las Meninas, we explore his exceptional attention to composition, masterful handling of tone, and his remarkable influence as, in Manet’s words, “the greatest painter of all.”

Reviews (0)

Write a review

Rate this item

Your name

Your e-mail

Your review

Comment

Selection

Description

Functionality (necessary) cookies

These cookies are essential to the functioning of the website and they cannot be disabled. They do not store any personally identifiable information and are deleted once you leave the website.

Performance Cookies

These cookies are used to measure the use of the website and traffic sources in order to gain information required to improve the functioning of the website. These cookies help us to determine which pages are the most popular and to learn about the users’ browsing habits. To this end we use the Google Analytics statistical engine. We do not disclose any information we have collected. All information gathered is completely anonymous and cannot identify you personally.

Marketing cookies

These third-party cookies are used to display ads personalized to your needs. We use cookies that help us to collect information on your web surfing behaviour and allow us to learn about your interests so that we could display only those ads that are relevant to you. Leave this box unchecked if you do not want us to show you any advertising.