Diego VelázquezSpanish, 1599–1660Piazza di Madrid
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Piazza di Madrid” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
Details
- Accession number
- DYCE.611
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
In the life of Diego Velázquez
The whole life1599
Born
17 September 1611
Apprenticed to Francisco Pacheco
A contract formalised Velázquez's six-year apprenticeship with Francisco Pacheco, backdated to 10 December 1610. A learned teacher, Pacheco encouraged his pupils' intellectual development: with him Velázquez studied the classics, proportion and perspective and followed the literary and artistic circles of Seville.
30 August 1623
Philip IV sits for Velázquez for the first time
After the death of the king's favourite court painter, Rodrigo de Villandrando, the Count-Duke of Olivares summoned Velázquez to court. The king sat for him, the portrait pleased, and Olivares ordered the painter to move to Madrid.
6 October 1623
Appointed court painter
Velázquez was appointed court painter in place of the late Villandrando at twenty ducats a month, plus fees for his pictures. The king repeated to him Alexander the Great's promise to Apelles: “No one but you shall paint me from now on.”
July 1629
First journey to Italy
With the king's leave Velázquez left Madrid together with General Spinola, newly appointed to command Spain's forces in Italy. Suspicious Italians took Olivares's protégé for little short of a Spanish spy, but his own aim was “to perfect his professional skill”.
6 August 1660
Died
