Thursday, October 13, 2011

2011-2012 Challenges. Number 4



This week we´ll learn something more about Diego de Silva y Velázquez, one of the genius of world painting. The following questions will be focused on his personal life and his work. The students who have commented on Velázquez´s paintings will be able to answer most of the questions. So, take a little time and participate!

QUESTION 1

Where did Velázquez study to become a painter?

QUESTION 2

One of the models used by Velázquez on his painting Christ in the house of Martha and Mary also appeared in another Velázquez´s painting. What is this painting?

QUESTION 3

Velázquez moved to Madrid and started working for the court thanks to the protection of a powerful valido. Who was this powerful man?

QUESTION 4

As a court painter, Velázquez had access to the royal collection of paintings. What Renaissance painters could he study in the royal collection?

QUESTION 5

In 1628 Velázquez met another important painter, who was visiting Madrid in a diplomatic mission. Who was this "diplomatic" painter?

QUESTION 6

Velázquez travelled to Italy twice in his life. The first time he spent some time studying other painters. What was the purpose of his second trip to Italy?

QUESTION 7

Velázquez only painted a female nude in his long career. What is the name of this painting? According to experts, who was the  model used for this painting?  What is the realtion between this painting and suffragettes?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi!
Question 1: He started in Seville.

Question 2: We can find the same model in the painting "Old Woman Cooking Eggs".

Question 3: The Count-Duke of Olivares.

Question 4: I haven't found this answer.

Question 5: He was Peter Paul Rubens.

Question 6: He went to buy sculptures and paintings for the king.

Question 7: I think the painting is "The Toilet of Venus". The model was "Venus at the Mirror" a painting of Rubens. I don't know how answer the last question.

See you!

Paqui Pérez Fons said...

Hello Javi,

These are the answers to the questions:

1. He studied with two painters in Seville: Francisco Herrera el Viejo and Francisco Pacheco. Velázquez married Pacheco´s daughter.

4. He could study the works of some important Renissance painters: Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto and the Bassano.

7. Experts think that the model was a mistress Velázquez had when he was in Italy. They had a son. Others say that it could have been the Italian painter Lavinia Triunfi.

With respect to the suffragettes, one of them, Mary Richardson, attacked the canvas with an axe in 1914. She did this to protest againts the arrest of Emmeline Pankhursrt, the suffragettes´ leader. Richardon was sentenced to six months in jail. I don´t like this type of protest.

The rest of your answers are correct. Have a good night.