Diego Velázquez: The Glorification of State and Self

Diego Velázquez actively secured a reputation by exploiting one theme, “the concept of glory,” and its application to the two central elements of country and career. The first of these, the glorification of state, is found in the colossal Surrender of Breda while his later painting Las Meninas serves as a tribute to himself and his career. Both of these paintings indicate that Velázquez became increasingly preoccupied with his status as an artist. To that end he utilized original methods as well as borrowed elements from other great canvases in order to elevate the presentation of skill in his art