Diego Velázquez (Painter) Biography

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.