Why is Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) celebrated as one of the most innovative artists of the 17th century? Trace his outstanding artistic development, from precisely observed still lifes to the impressionistic inventiveness of his later, audacious works.

We’ll consider how Velázquez’s prodigious talent led King Philip IV of Spain to appoint him as court painter when he was only in his early twenties – and we’ll see, despite being based in Seville and Madrid, how he was nevertheless influenced by international painters including Rubens, Reni and Caravaggio. 

Led by art historian Dr Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe.   

Read the full course description here.

Joining Information and Format: This course will be taught through Zoom Webinar. Each course session duration is 120 minutes, including a five-minute break and Q&A session with the tutor.  

Tickets are for all dates of this course. Ticketholders will be emailed the Zoom link, Webinar ID and Passcode 24 hours in advance of the first course session, which should be retained for accessing both sessions.   

Course Recording: This course will be recorded. Within 48 hours of each course session, ticket holders will be emailed a link to view the recording, which will be available for two weeks.