The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-07

not only strongly influenced Spanish
painters in their choice of Flemish
and Italian models. but gave decided
| ly local flavor. For all the love of the
gorgeous Venetian school shown by
SPANS rulers and magnates, it was the
Bolognese school and it's offshoots
which, just before Velasquez most ap-
pealed to the Spaniards both on ac-
count of the forid and enthusiastic
treatment of popular religious themes
by the Carracci, Guido and others, and
because of its dramatic color effects
and its occasional --Ituralsm. For the
same reason the dark and fantastic
Neopolitan school, with Caravaggio
and Ribera, was a strong factor in
guiding Spanish painters.
NelaSqueZ came at a critical moment
in Spanish art. In other branches of
civilization-those naturally the earliest
to develop in any newly founded ma
tion-Spain had long before assumed a
well defined character. In religious
matters, in state policy. in adninis-
tration. Spain, during the sixteenth
century. had worked from clear-cut
and infiexible ideals that have stamped
her in history. over a large part of
Europe as we'll as of the new world she
had extended the iron grasp of these
ideals. and now when her power was
waning she was calling to her aid
the resources of painting to maintain
the hold of religion on the masses.
Pacheco, who was to be VelaSGueZ's
teacher and father-in-law, was embody-
ing in a standard Guide to Painters
the clerical idea of the scope and duty
of painting as an "ducationl medium in
the grasp of the church. But before
Murillo was to raise this tendency
painting" into the realm of pure beauty,
came VelasqueZ, who made Murillo pos
sible. By his genius he set a seal upon
national style that should fos the first
time give Spain in the field of painting
as high a place among nations as she
had already attained in other fields. No
wond, II when Velasquez came he
received a light royal welcome.
Don Diego de Silva Velasquez was
born at Seville in June. 1889. Though
of noble family, his parents allowed him
to follow his leaning for an artists life
and at IS he entered the studio of the
famous, fiery Herrera, but soon passed
to that of Pacheco. where he spent
five years in painting genre subjects
and in careful study of physiognomy.
Pacheco so appreciated his character
and budding talents that he gave him
his daughter in marriage in 1918. The
young painter was, in his teens, pure
realist. delighting in tavern and kitchen
scenes and every variety of common
life, as we can see from his Water Car
rier' at Apsley court and his 'Ador-
alton of the Shepherds in the national
gallery. Even his religious pictures
had been an obtrusive dominant ele-
ment of peasantry which afterward dis
In 1923 an eventful change took place
in the artists life. He was called to
Madrid, and by favor of the prime min
isser, Oliyares. became, at the extraor-
binary youthful age of "a. portrait I
painter to King Philip ". the royal |
family and the court Nelasquez must |
have shown great social tact and abili- /
ty not only TO keep throughout his life /
the favor so early obtained but steadily
to increase it. The royal palace at Ma /
1rid had become a superb picture gall |
ery. where many of the great masters
Of the sixteenth century were magnifi- 4
Gently represented. and by study of
these masterpieces Velasquez broad
ened his knowledge, obtained new in
sight into the possibilities of color and |
acquired fiexibiIity and confidence He |
was weaned both from Grass realism |
and from the tendency school, and I.
turned to the study of the human per-
For ten years after his coming to Ma
ined himself to aristocratic portraits.
turning away from his earlier themes
If common life as unsuited to the court
episode Of Rubens' visit to
irst time into personal contact with one