Diego Velázquez

Diego Velázquez was the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age and a master of courtly portraiture. His work is celebrated for its incredible realism, complex spatial arrangements, and his ability to capture the psychological essence of his subjects. His masterpiece, Las Meninas, is one of the most analyzed paintings in history due to its intricate play with perspective and the relationship between the viewer and the subject. Velázquezs loose, confident brushwork influenced generations of painters, including the Impressionists and modern masters like Francis Bacon.