Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Renowned for his physical and psychological naturalism, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660) is considered one of the greatest painters to have ever lived. Official court painter to King Philip IV (1605-1665), he created astounding effects of illusion in his minimalist and elegantly composed works--which range from genre and history scenes to portraits. His paintings had an enormous impact on 19th- and early-20th-century artists such as Degas, Renoir, and Picasso, and Manet famously first described him as "the painter's painter."
With over 150 illustrations and an in-depth chronology, this beautifully produced and comprehensive book surveys Velázquez's entire career and explores his universal popularity. Fascinating essays by world-class Velázquez scholars address the artist's life and technique, examining his studies in Seville and Italy to his final great works at the court of Philip IV. They also place his works in the context of 17th-century European painting and discuss how and why his works have resonated so strongly with the generations of Post-Impressionist and modernist artists.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

This excellent volume is the catalog of a major exhibition held at the National Gallery in London in 2006. Although it does not have the comprehensiveness of a monograph, such as those by Jonathan Brown (Velazquez: The Technique of Genius, CH, Sep'99, 37-0079) and Enriqueta Harris (Velazquez, CH, May'83), it gives a fine overview of the artist's achievement and development as well as providing the most recent scholarship and technical information. The various authors are distinguished authorities in their fields, and their individual essays help the reader understand the political and economic situation of 17th-century Spain, Velazquez's brilliant technique and extraordinary insight into his sitters, the role of X-radiographs and other scientific ways of examining his work, and his impact on British art over the centuries. The extended entries on the 46 paintings in the exhibition are especially useful, with information on the subjects, other versions, provenance, and the like. A full chronology, extensive bibliography, and index complete this model of an exhibition catalog. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through professionals. F. W. Robinson Cornell University

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Dawson Carr is Curator of Later Italian and Spanish Painting at the National Gallery, London. Xavier Bray is Assistant Curator of 17th- and 18th-Century Paintings and Larry Keith is Senior Conservator, both at the National Gallery, London. Sir John H. Elliott is Regius Professor Emeritus of Modern History at the University of Oxford. Gabriele Finaldi is Director of Conservation and Research at the Museo Nacional del Prado. Giorgia Mancini and Simona Di Nepi are Curatorial Assistants at the National Gallery, London. Javier Portús Pérez is Curator at the Museo Nacional del Prado. Wolfgang Prohaska is Curator of Baroque Painting at the Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna.