Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez

Born in Seville, the son of a lawyer of Portuguese descent, Velázquez was apprenticed at the age of eleven to the painter Francisco Pacheco. In 1623 he was called to Madrid, where he soon painted his first portrait of King Philip IV. Velázquez became not only court painter, but also a close friend of the King, who ennobled him and made him a knight of the Military Order of Santiago and a gentleman in waiting. His work undoubtedly profited from study of the royal collection, which was rich in works of the Venetians, and he probably also was influenced by Rubens during the latter’s visit to Madrid in 1628–29. Apart from sojourns in Italy in 1629–31 and 1649–51, Velázquez remained at the Spanish court until his death.

Source: Art in The Frick Collection: Paintings, Sculpture, Decorative Arts, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1996.