Finally, a Velázquez for the Getty
Diego Velázquez, Portrait of Count-Duke of Olivares , about 1626. Getty Museum The Getty Museum is on a roll with painting buys lately, but this one is hard to top. The museum has announced the acquisition of a rare work by Diego Velázquez , the most acclaimed of Spanish baroque painters. The Portrait of Count-Duke of Olivares is one of several Velázquez paintings of the powerful Spanish Prime Minister to King Philip IV (including the famous equestrian portrait in the Prado ). According to the Getty press release, this version is "the most significant addition to Velázquez's oeuvre in recent years." It's believed to be the source for Paulus Pontius' engraving of Olivares. Rubens designed the print's fancy allegory, with the likeness credited to Velázquez. The source painting has long been considered lost. Technical examination has shown that the Getty picture contains numerous pentimenti, supporting the case that it is an autograph original. Paulus Pontius (...
