Baroque Era

 

Philip IV in Brown and Silver, 1632

Diego Velázquez


    Diego Velázquez was a famed portrait artist from the baroque period who was in high demand. At 23 after painting his first portrait of King Philip IV the young king made him a painter of the court and only had his portraits done by Velázquez thereafter. I love this portrait of the king because of its realism and detail. The portrait, done in 1632 Oil on canvas, is titled “Philip IV in Brown and Silver”, and features the king wearing an elegant brown outfit with silver threading detail. The king displays his Badge of the Golden Fleece and the golilla collar, he is said to have created and popularized. Velázquez shapes the infamous “Habsburg chin” a prominent feature found in the Habsburg line, from royal inbreeding, with slight changes in skin tone and shading. Excellent shadowing and shading in this portrait can be seen throughout the whole painting, in the folds of his clothing, shape of his legs and shoes, even in the background. You can see that Velázquez makes sure to capture the true elegance of the outfit, the silver detail and patterns being almost metallic in appearance themselves when you take in the whole frame of the painting into view. The softer colors and painterly style show his Italian influence and are one of the reasons I love this painting--- you have to take a step back to take it all in. 



Philip IV in Brown and Silver, 1632

Diego Velázquez



    This full length portrait of the famous Spanish King was just one of many portraits mastered by Velázquez for King Philip IV. Philip held power in Spain for over four decades. Throughout this time the two were said to have held quite a strong relationship. Velázquez was appointed to King Philip IV court and was soon creating portraits of himself along with his family. It was important to the King for these portraits to be of the highest quality and lighting for these are how future generations would see him and his loved ones. He felt no other artist was as equipped to do this as Velázquez was. For almost 40 years Velázquez was the only person to paint the King. His first portrait of him was when the King was just 17 and until Velázquez’s death King Philip would have no other artist paint his portrait. Velázquez’s relation to King Philip IV guided him as he rose through the court.  




Work Cited 


“Diego Velazquez (1599–1660).” Velazquez: Spanish Baroque Painter, www.visual-arts-cork.com/old-masters/velazquez.htm.

Donbrown, and Donbrown. Stuff About London, stuffaboutlondon.co.uk/five-minute-presentations/velazquez-philip-iv-of-spain-in-brown-and-silver/.

“Philip IV in Brown and Silver.” Philip IV in Brown and Silver by Diego Velazquez, www.diegovelazquez.net/philip-iv-in-brown-and-silver/.

Comments

  1. Rizza MaeMarch 2, 2021 at 12:42 AM

    Hello Katelyn,

    I really love the painting that you chose! The details of the Philip IV are extraordinary. Aside from the details, Diego also added life to it by creating a 3D dimension look on its detail. I believe this painting took a lot of time to finish. The most appealing to your post is that you described how Diego painted this art well. It is also interesting that only Diego painted the king for 40 years. The king must have liked Diego's work. While reading more about the Baroque art, most painters uses vivid colors for their art. That is also seen with the painting you chose. Great job, Katelyn.

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