Copies of Velázquez
On 28 July 1778, the Gaceta de Madrid announced the appearance of nine prints drawn and engraved by Goya from paintings by Velázquez. Although Goya was not yet painter to the king, he must have had easy access to the Royal Palace, where Velázquez’s work had been collected. These nine were joined by 13 other prints like The Triumph of Bacchus, Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares, Aesop and more.
Why do not know what led Goya to create this series. Perhaps he shared the ideas of his learned friends, who sought to promote and safeguard the masterpieces preserved in Spain from possible loss, or perhaps he simply did it out of admiration for the Sevillian painter and his work.
With this series, Goya started experimenting with a new and complex technique (aquafortis), which was tiring for both hand and eye, while recreating famous works of a painter that he admired and considered a master.
