DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52800#0165
NEAPOLITAN SCHOOL.—velasquez 145
friendship of Rubens, and these two eminent men
had the greatest esteem for each other. Velasquez
had the good fortune to live under the patronage
of a monarch who knew how to appreciate and to
reward just merit, and whose love of art was best
shown by the unbounded encouragement which he
bestowed on talent.—Philip IV. was an enthu-
siastic admirer of painting, and devoted many of
his leisure hours to the contemplation of the works
of the great masters. When he was informed
that a part of the palace of the Buon Retiro at
Madrid was destroyed by fire, in which were many
of those magnificent works which had been col-
lected by the Emperors, Charles V. and Philip IL,
his first question was, “ Is the Venus del Prado
safe ?”—Yes.—“ Then thank God my loss is not so
great.” The Venus del Prado of Titian was one
of his most celebrated pictures.
Velasquez possessed a freedom and splendour of
colouring, which placed him on a par with Rubens.
His design is always good, and his compositions
are full of science and learning. His portraits
possess great vigour and truth; they vie with
those of Rubens in point of fine and transparent
colouring, and they are equal to those of Vandyck
for character.
The pictures by Velasquez in the Orleans col-
lection were:
VOL. I. L
friendship of Rubens, and these two eminent men
had the greatest esteem for each other. Velasquez
had the good fortune to live under the patronage
of a monarch who knew how to appreciate and to
reward just merit, and whose love of art was best
shown by the unbounded encouragement which he
bestowed on talent.—Philip IV. was an enthu-
siastic admirer of painting, and devoted many of
his leisure hours to the contemplation of the works
of the great masters. When he was informed
that a part of the palace of the Buon Retiro at
Madrid was destroyed by fire, in which were many
of those magnificent works which had been col-
lected by the Emperors, Charles V. and Philip IL,
his first question was, “ Is the Venus del Prado
safe ?”—Yes.—“ Then thank God my loss is not so
great.” The Venus del Prado of Titian was one
of his most celebrated pictures.
Velasquez possessed a freedom and splendour of
colouring, which placed him on a par with Rubens.
His design is always good, and his compositions
are full of science and learning. His portraits
possess great vigour and truth; they vie with
those of Rubens in point of fine and transparent
colouring, and they are equal to those of Vandyck
for character.
The pictures by Velasquez in the Orleans col-
lection were:
VOL. I. L