Velázquez by Javier Portús HARDBACK 9780500970584

Thames & Hudson Ltd

This book presents a complete survey of one of the key moments in the history of the Spanish court portrait, a period spanning the years 1650 to 1680. In 1650 Vel\u00E1zquez was in Rome, where he depicted members of the papal court with a new freedom of approach, while the following year saw his keenly awaited return to Spain, where he returned to the conventions of the court portrait. From that point onwards and until his death in 1660, Vel\u00E1zquez devoted most of his efforts to satisfying a growing demand for portraits of the Spanish royal family. These images were used for both family and diplomatic purposes, given that Philip IV\u2019s children with his last wife, Mariana of Austria, were essential elements in the strategic creation of political alliances across Europe. These last ten years of Vel\u00E1zquez\u2019s career constitute a period with a marked and distinctive personality. His sitters were now primarily women and children rather than men, a difference that was accom.