Follower of Velázquez, 19th century.

Spanish school of the 19th century. Follower of DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ (Seville, 1599 - Madrid, 1660).
"Self-portrait of Diego Velázquez.
Oil on canvas.
Presents faults in the frame.
Measurements: 40 x 27 cm; 60 x 48 cm (frame).

The canvas presented has been made from the "Self-portrait of Velázquez" preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia. The work was painted by the Sevillian master around 1640 and is, with the self-portrait of Las Meninas, the only autograph of the painter that has been preserved. Velázquez is presented against a neutral background, looking at the viewer from the side and with a noble attitude, aware of his worth as a painter. This type of portrait became popular, largely due to the political relations of the Habsburg house that used these works both in the intimate family and diplomatic spheres. This work in which the figure of the artist is extolled as the undisputed protagonist is consistent with an era in which the exercise of painting assimilated the theories of the Renaissance, thus elevating the position of the artist. This type of portraits lived a great splendor during the Spanish golden century, bringing closer than ever different artistic areas. The recognition of the liberal arts, during the 1600's, meant a development of portrait painting, generating a great interest in the pictorial capture of emblematic figures belonging to the world of literature. For this reason, aristocrats of the time, such as the Count of Arcos, expanded the collections of portraits of illustrious men, with the presence of relevant characters for culture. The preeminence that the figure of the painter reached as a famous man is evident in the great proliferation of Velázquez's portraits.