Diego Velázquez was the leading painter of the Spanish Golden Age, court painter to King Philip IV of Spain for most of his career. Born in Seville, he showed prodigious talent from an early age, and by his mid-twenties had secured his position at the most powerful court in Europe. His work ranged from intimate bodegones (kitchen scenes) to grand royal portraits, mythological narratives, and religious subjects. His technique — loose, almost impressionistic brushwork that resolves into convincing form at a distance — was centuries ahead of its time and profoundly influenced Manet, Whistler, and Picasso. Las Meninas, his greatest work, remains one of the most analyzed paintings in history for its complex play of perspective, reflection, and self-reference.
