"Equestrian Portrait Philip", 1635-36
Oil on canvas, 301 x 314 cm
Museo del Prado, Madrid Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velasquez was born in Sevilla in 1599, the son of Geronima Velasquez and Juan Rodriguez da Silva, who belonged to a Portuguese family established in Andalucia at the beginning of the 16th Century.
Velasquez studied Latin, philosophy and literature before showing a deep interest for painting. He soon became the pupil of Herrera the Elder but the latter was bad tempered and the young man decided to work under Pacheco and Luis Tristan de Toledo, a former pupil of El Greco.
He completed his artistic studies at 19 and married Juana Pacheco, the daughter of his former master with whom he remained quite happy during over 40 years.
Velasquez worked in Sevilla until 1622 and then came to Madrid where he was introduced to Count dOlivares, the Prime Minister of King Philip IV but the following year he returned to his native town until the latter summoned him back to the court.
Velasquez painted the portrait of his protector Juan Fonseca, Canon of Sevilla and on seeing it the King appointed him painter to his court with an annual salary of 240 ducats.
After painting in 1623 the portrait of the King who was so pleased that all his portraits produced by other painters were removed from his palace, Velasquez became his first painter.
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