VELAZQUEZ

(June 1599 August 6, 1660) is not only a leading light of the Spanish Golden Age, but among the most celebrated masters in all Wes tern art history. Monet and Renoir, Corot and Courbet, Degas and Dalí all hailed his influence. Picasso was so inspired byhis master piece Las Meninas that he painted 44 variations of it.Velázquezs importance is found particularly in his naturalist approach, in co ntrast to the more ubiquitous idealized manner of his age. Early works included numerous bodegones, genre scenes of everyday life in early 17th...[Read more]