EN Velázquez OCTOBER 28,, 2014 – FEBRUARY 15, 2015 ST FLOOR 1 Special exhibition »Velázquez« ■ Picture Gallery ■ Dutch, Flemish and German painting Picture Gallery ■ Italian, Spanish and French painting Entranceexhibition to the VIII 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5 18 XI X IX I II III 6 7 IV 8 XIV XV VII VI V 9 24 13 12 11 INTRODUCTION Velázquez, celebrated as the »painter of paint- 1 Today this Maria Immaculata is regarded as ers« by Édouard Manet, inspired some of his one of Velázquez’ earliest works. When it first greatest fellow artists – Goya, Picasso, Francis appeared on the art market it was attributed Diego Velázquez Bacon: come and fall under his spell in the to Alonso Cano, Velázquez’ fellow pupil in first-ever Velázquez exhibition in Austria! the workshop of Francisco Pacheco. However, THE IMMACULATE following scientific analyses it is now gener- CONCEPTION The Kunsthistorisches Museum holds the largest ally regarded as a work by the then eighteen- collection of portraits by Velázquez outside the c. 1617 year-old Velázquez, possibly executed imme- Prado. For the first time these paintings are Sevilla, Fundación diately after he had completed his training Focus-Abengoa now displayed in the context of the master’s (March 14, 1617). oeuvre. Though not yet a dogma, the Immaculate Con- His early works featuring haunting every-day ception had numerous fervent supporters in scenes, his paintings for the court in Madrid, Seville and was the subject of many passion- portraits of kings and royal children as well as ate debates. of jesters and dwarfs, religious and mytholog- ical scenes, among them the Rokeby Venus, per- In his composition Velázquez follows St. John’s haps the most beautiful nude back ever painted Apocalypse: «a woman clothed with the sun, – all this is on show in the exhibition. with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head«. This composition This booklet comprises the labels of all the differs from Velázquez’ second version (see paintings in the exhibition, inviting you to view no. 2) in the figure’s strict frontality and com- them at your leisure, close up or from a dis- pact silhouette, and the Blessed Virgin’s tance. direct gaze. For more information please see the exhibition catalogue. 2 Velázquez probably painted his second Maria 3 When Velázquez painted this Adoration of Immaculata for the Carmelite monastery in the Magi it was his largest and most ambitious Seville. The order was a particularly fervent composition to date. It was probably commis- Diego Velázquez Diego Velázquez defender of the dogma of the Immaculate Con- sioned by the Jesuits in Seville, with whom ception. the artist’s teacher and father-in-law main- THE IMMACULATE THE ADORATION tained excellent relations. Velázquez’ obvious CONCEPTION OF THE MAGI In a very short span of time the young artist desire to achieve a great degree of authen­­ c. 1618–1619 demonstrated his ability to render a then very 1619 ticity and emotional intensity reflects and cor- London, The National popular and frequently depicted figure in dif- Madrid, Museo responds with the Jesuits’ educational pro- Gallery Nacional del Prado ferent ways: here the Virgin’s eyes are low- gramme. The protagonists were clearly paint- ered to the left, and her cloak is billowing in ed from the life: the aged king on the left is a the same direction, while she has turned slight- portrait of Pacheco, and both the king in the ly to the right. In these subtle and complex foreground and St. Joseph are modelled on counter-movements the second Virgin differs Velázquez’ own features. markedly from the strict frontality of her pre- decessor (see no. 1). These highly individual figures are arranged in a monumental composition, and their pres- The painting was originally displayed in the ence is enhanced by Velázquez’ choice of chapter house of the Carmelite monastery to- strong colour highlights. gether with a painting commensurate to it de- picting St. John on Patmos, i.e. the author of The effective lighting of this nocturnal scene the Apocalypse. Other orders in Seville such shows that the artist was aware of the novel as the Antonites and the Jesuits began to take ideas propagated by Caravaggio and his fol- notice of the young master and commissioned lowers. works from him (see no. 3). 4 Depictions of the Apostles, often as part of a 5 Inscription and size (both of the figures and cycle, were popular in Counter-Reformation of the painting) document that these two art; they were Christ’s original audience, then Apostles belong together; this makes it even Diego Velázquez Diego Velázquez the propagators of his teachings, and finally more impressive how clearly Velázquez dif- the first martyrs of the Catholic Church. ferentiated their characters: the diagonal lance SAINT PAUL SAINT THOMAS and St. Thomas’ profile portrait suggest move- c. 1619–1620 Spain has celebrated series by El Greco and c. 1619–1620 ment, his features express restlessness – Barcelona, Museu Ribera, the Netherlands by Rubens and Van Orléans, Musée des Velázquez is depicting St. Thomas’ doubts, Nacional d’Art de Beaux Arts Dyck. However, only two depictions by which he overcame to proselyte and teach the Catalunya Velázquez are known today; they were prob- word of the Lord. ably once part of a larger ensemble, one most likely commissioned for the Carthusian mon- In India, St. Thomas was martyred with a astery Santa Maria de las Cuevas in Seville. lance; it is also the weapon with which Christ’s Velázquez depicts St. Paul without his sword, side was pierced, the very wound into which i.e. not as a martyr but as the author of the doubting Thomas had to place his fingers be- Epistles – hence the large book. The figure’s fore believing that the man in front of him monumental compactness expresses the saint’s was truly the Risen Christ. strong, steadfast character, while the shimmer of light surrounding the Apostle’s head de- We encounter the young man Velázquez used notes the divine sphere. The impressive ren- as a model for his Apostle in a number of dering of his features is based on a thorough works from this period: for example he is one study of nature. of the Peasants at Table (no. 8), and the vio- linist in The Three Musicians (no. 7). 6 All four Gospels record the denial of Saint 7 Three Musicians is regarded as the artist’s earl i- Peter: thrice he denied knowing Jesus, but af- est extant work in the genre then known as ter his third denial he heard the rooster crow bodegones (cookshops or inns). Velázquez did Diego Velázquez Diego Velázquez for the first time and recalled the Lord’s pre- not invent this genre, but – clearly aware of diction of his faithlessness. Theologians have Caravaggio’s work – he developed it dramat- THE TEARS OF THREE MUSICIANS interpreted it as an example of repentance ically. Showing a profound love of experiment- SAINT PETER and penitence, and as a precursor of the sac- c. 1617–1618 ing, the eighteen-year-old artist painted what c. 1618–1619 rament of confession. Berlin, Staatliche were then regarded as lowly scenes depicting Museen, Gemäldegalerie Madrid, Collection drinking musicians. Villar Mir Most of the versions by Velazquez’ contem- poraries usually focus on depicting emotions, His teacher Pacheco described such compo- showing Saint Peter crying, his head bent in sitions as »ridiculous figures in various ugly shame, the rooster at his side. subject matters that are intended to make one laugh«. The boy on the left is doing exactly Not so Velázquez: as the new day dawns in that: he has stopped playing his vihuela, raised the background he depicts the moment that his full glass and faces us, laughing. And we precedes Peter’s tears, and the terrible reali- understand: the two musicians’ ecstatic con- zation of his faithlessness is reflected in his centration is probably the result of having face. drunk too much. No less than six extant copies and versions of this compositions bear witness to its popular- ity. The one on show here is regarded as the earliest and best, and is generally attributed to Velázquez. 8 There are two possible explanations for the 9 Many regard this as Velázquez’ best work from uneven handling in this painting: it is either his early years in Seville, and it is undoubted- in a deplorable condition, with large areas ly the most important of his bodegones. Diego Velázquez Diego Velázquez overpainted by a later hand, or a co-produc- tion between Velázquez and one of his assist- The artist achieved such a degree of verisim- PEASANTS THE WATERSELLER ants. Today, most art historians support the ilitude that the scene seems to take place in AT TABLE latter explanation. c. 1622 front of our eyes. In fact, the composition is (EL ALMUERZO) London, Apsley House, so carefully balanced and arranged as to re- The Wellington c. 1618–1620 The young man on the right (possibly the semble a regal ceremony. Then ubiquitous Collection Budapest, model also used for Saint Thomas; see no. 5) throughout Europe, watersellers were essen- Szépmu´´vészeti Múzeum is most probably by Velázquez himself, an at- tial in Seville. Nonetheless, they were ranked tribution supported by the lighting and the near the bottom of the social pyramid. But natural modelling of his skin and clothes. Velázquez reverses this completely and im- bues the old man with dignity, although the The composition evolved out of the undoubt- higher social status of the boy clutching the edly autograph table scene now in the Her- full glass is clearly indicated by his fine clothes mitage in St.