Velázquez

This book is the catalogue for a blockbuster exhibition that was held at the National Gallery in London in 2006. Pictured and analysed here are 46 of the artist's paintings, mostly court portraits (the Spanish royal family) and biblical scenes. The text is divided into five chapters; especially interesting are the one on the technique of Velasquez and the one on the historical and sociological context in which his famous nude turning her back to the viewer, the Rockeby Venus, was painted. The last chapter deals with the reception of the artist in Britain and the way he was much sought after by British collectors early on. Even though his famous masterpieces Las Meninas and the Surrender of Breda were absent from the exhibition, they are evoqued and illustrated in the book's detailed chapter on the life and art of the painter. The illustrations are of a high quality, with many close-ups and details. It is therefore a must-have for anyone interested in Velasquez.