A detailed introduction to the life and art of Velázquez, which includes a discussion of all his major works. Diego Velázquez (1599–1660) was one of the iconic figures of Western painting and Baroque art, a craftsman distinguished for his focus on realism and striking truth. Everything he painted was considered 'portraits,' from the Spanish royal family and Pope Innocent X to a pestle and mortar. This comprehensive introduction to Velázquez's life and art includes a discussion of all his major works and depicts most of his 110 surviving works. The artist's greatest innovation—his unconventional and revolutionary technique—is examined in relation to stylistic influences from some of his most famous contemporaries, such as Titian and Rubens. The book concludes with a final chapter on the influence and significance of Velázquez's art on later painters from his time to recent art, including Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, and the Impressionists.