In-Person Lecture | Velázquez: Painting and the King

From his mid-twenties until his death at age 61, Velázquez worked as court painter to King Philip IV ofSpain. During these years the artist’s manner of painting underwent a remarkable change, from the denselypainted, firm forms of the 1620s (as in the Meadows Museum's early portrait of Philip IV) to the lightlytouched, feathery brushstrokes of the 1640s (as in the Fraga Philip, on loan from The Frick Collection and thesubject of this fall’s Masterpiece in Residence exhibition) where solidity of form becomes subservient to the delicate play of the brush. In this talk, Giles Knox examines the development of Velázquez's spectacularly free brushwork, as well as the possible role played by the king in encouraging the artist along this extraordinary path.

Following the lecture, Giles Knox, author of Masterpiece in Residence: Velázquez’s King Philip IV of Spain from The Frick Collection, will be available outside the Meadows Museum Shop for a book signing. Books will be available for purchase at the shop.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Meadows Museum, 5900 Bishop Boulevard, Dallas, United States