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Luis Miguel Goitizolo

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RE: 17th century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez, a giant of Western art
3/19/2014 1:42:12 AM

Another great portrait here, made at this particular period of Velazquez's prodigious career. Although of an unknown model and portrayed with amazing psychological insight in a unusual, innovative stance, i.e. seen from aside, it represents a fascinating mythological character, Arachne, who years later would be reintroduced in Velazquez's works via his wonderful Fable of Arachne ('Las Hilanderas'). See my next post.


Diego Velazquez - Arachne
(oil on canvas, 1644-48)



"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

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Luis Miguel Goitizolo

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RE: 17th century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez, a giant of Western art
3/21/2014 1:34:00 AM

THE FABLE OF ARACHNE
('LAS HILANDERAS')
By Diego Velazquez


And here, of all Velazquez's works, is his only greatly important horizontal
painting that still was pending presentation in this thread: Las Hilanderas (also called 'The Fable of Arachne') (*), a masterpiece perhaps only equaled by his Triumph of Bachus ('Los Borrachos') of 1628-29 and his Surrender of Breda of 1634-35 (and of course, by his Meninas of 1656, also called 'Maids of Honor' and the main feature in this topic).


Diego Velazquez - Las Hilanderas ('The Fable of Aracne')
(oil on canvas, c.1657)



(*) Las Hilanderas is one of the most famous of the paintings by Velázquez. In its composition, the artist looks back to his bodegones, where two different areas and two planes of reality balance each other. The everyday scene in the foreground shows a plainly furnished room where women are at work spinning. On the left, an elderly woman is at the spinning wheel, while the young woman seated to the right is winding yam. Three other women are bringing more wool and sorting through the remnants. There is a second room in the background, in an alcove reached by steps. It is flooded with light and contains several elegantly dressed women. The woman on the left wearing an antique helmet and with her arm raised is a figure of Athena. Opposite her stands the young Arachne, who has committed the sacrilegious act of comparing her skill in weaving with the goddess's. She has begun their competition with a tapestry showing one of the love affairs of Jupiter, the rape of Europa. (From Web Gallery of Art)


"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

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Luis Miguel Goitizolo

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RE: 17th century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez, a giant of Western art
3/23/2014 3:20:22 AM

Velazquez was particularly endowed in portraying children, which is superbly evidenced via such wonderful portraits as those of prince Baltasar Carlos (one of which, the one depicting the prince on horseback, we have already seen in page 8 of this thread)
and those of princess Margarita, produced after 1650 (which we will see in my next post). But he also portrayed prince Baltasar Carlos, in the 1630s and in other stances (two of which are seen below) and long afterwards, in 1560 or thereabouts, prince Felipe Prospero, who unfortunately would shortly pass away (also seen below with his little dog).



Diego Velazquez - Prince Baltasar Carlos as a Hunter
(oil on canvas, c.1635)


Diego Velazquez - Prince Baltasar Carlos
(oil on canvas, c.1639)


Diego Velazquez - Infante Felipe Prospero
(oil on canvas, c.1660)


"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

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Luis Miguel Goitizolo

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RE: 17th century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez, a giant of Western art
3/24/2014 2:50:55 AM

As to the portraits of princess Margarita mentioned in the previous post, which are among the finest ever painted by Velazquez, I have selected three of them, produced between the years 1653 and 1659, to post here. Actually I lack the words to depict their beauty or their artistic worth, but I am sure you will agree that they are all extraordinary works of art.


Diego Velazquez - Infanta Margarita
(oil on canvas, 1653)


Diego Velazquez - Infanta Margarita
(oil on canvas, 1656)


Diego Velazquez - Infanta Margarita Teresa in a Blue Dress
(oil on canvas, 1659)


"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

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Roger Macdivitt .

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RE: 17th century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez, a giant of Western art
3/24/2014 8:47:50 AM
These are spectacular works of art.
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