Painter, 1599 to 1660
Diego Velázquez
Almost everything Velázquez painted is in Madrid. London has the one picture the Prado most lacks: a goddess seen from behind, looking at us in a mirror.
- Born
- 1599, Seville, Spain
- Died
- 1660, Madrid, Spain
- Movement
- Baroque
- In London
- 2 works in 2 museums
Where to see Diego Velázquez in London
Each work with the museum it hangs in. Museums move and lend their works, so check before a special journey.
The National Gallery1 work
The Rokeby Venus
1647 to 1651
Venus lies on grey silk with her back to us while Cupid holds up a mirror. The face in the glass is blurred and too large: it is looking at you, not at herself.
The Wallace Collection1 work
The Lady with a Fan
about 1640
A woman in a brown dress and black veil, gloved, a rosary at her wrist, a fan half open. Nobody has ever established who she is.
The life of Diego Velázquez
Velázquez was born in Seville in 1599 and at twenty-four became painter to King Philip IV of Spain, whom he served for the rest of his life. Las Meninas, painted in 1656, is in the Prado.
He travelled to Italy twice, in 1629 and again from 1649 to 1651, to buy pictures and antiquities for the king. On the second journey he painted Pope Innocent X in Rome. He died in Madrid in 1660.
What to know
- The Rokeby Venus is named after Rokeby Park, the house in Yorkshire where it once hung
- A suffragette slashed it with a meat cleaver in 1914
- It is the only surviving female nude by Velázquez
- Born
- June 1599, Seville, Spain
- Died
- 6 August 1660, Madrid, Spain
Diego Velázquez: common questions
- Where can you see Diego Velázquez in London?
- At the National Gallery: The Rokeby Venus. At the Wallace Collection: The Lady with a Fan. Museums move and lend their works, so check before a special journey.
- What is Diego Velázquez's most famous work in London?
- The Rokeby Venus, of 1647 to 1651, at the National Gallery. Venus lies on grey silk with her back to us while Cupid holds up a mirror. The face in the glass is blurred and too large: it is looking at you, not at herself.
- When and where was Diego Velázquez born?
- In June 1599, at Seville, Spain. Diego Velázquez died on 6 August 1660, at Madrid, Spain, aged about 61.
- What is Diego Velázquez known for?
- The Rokeby Venus is named after Rokeby Park, the house in Yorkshire where it once hung. A suffragette slashed it with a meat cleaver in 1914. It is the only surviving female nude by Velázquez. Diego Velázquez was a Spanish painter, of the Baroque.
Tickets and tours: Diego Velázquez in London
Things to do near the National Gallery
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 16Spend an evening in Covent Garden and the West End450 m awayShow, 2 to 5 hours, free to walk, theatre ticket
- 14Go underground at the Churchill War Rooms750 m awayUnderground, 1.5 to 2 hours, ticket
- 6Ride the London Eye900 m awayMonument, 1 to 1.5 hours, ticket
- 11Hear Big Ben strike at the Houses of Parliament950 m awayMonument, 45 to 150 minutes, free outside, ticket to go in
Where to eat near the National Gallery
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in London. Distances are in a straight line.
- Ochre4.4Museum restaurant, Trafalgar Square50 m away
- J Sheekey4.5Fish restaurant, Covent Garden250 m away
- Gordon's Wine Bar4.6Wine bar, Embankment350 m away
- Rules4.6Grand restaurant, Covent Garden400 m away
Hotels near the National Gallery
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in London. Distances are in a straight line.
- Corinthia London4.7Five-star hotel, Whitehall Place, by the Embankment400 m away
- Raffles London at The OWO4.7Five-star hotel, Whitehall, opposite Horse Guards450 m away
- The Savoy4.7Five-star hotel, The Strand, on the Thames550 m away
- The Ritz London4.6Five-star hotel, Piccadilly, beside Green Park950 m away
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Van Dyck came to London to paint Charles I and gave the English court the look it is remembered by. The National Gallery has the king on horseback, and the National Portrait Gallery has the painter's last self-portrait.
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Rembrandt
The National Gallery has more than twenty Rembrandts, among them two self-portraits painted twenty-nine years apart and Belshazzar's Feast. Kenwood House, on Hampstead Heath, has one of the greatest of all his self-portraits.
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Painter, 1632 to 1675
Johannes Vermeer
Three of Vermeer's thirty-odd paintings are in London: two young women at a keyboard in the National Gallery, and The Guitar Player at Kenwood House.
Dutch Golden Age. 2 works in 2 museums
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