Filled with brilliant reproductions and engaging texts reflecting the latest scholarship, this portable and attractively priced volume is the perfect introduction to the renowned Spanish Baroque painter. Celebrated for his masterful realism and innovative techniques, Diego Velázquez profoundly influenced art history through his use of light, perspective, and portraiture. Opening with an introductory essay, Velázquez's life and work are explored within their historical context, and in stunning reproductions of thirty-five of his significant works. Readers will discover how Velázquez’s role as court painter to King Philip IV of Spain allowed him to experiment with new techniques, and how masterpieces such as  Las Meninas, and The Triumph of Bacchus showcase his genius for composition and psychological depth.