The astonishing artwork of Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) had an immediate impact upon both his contemporaries and later artists. Most of the information available on his life and incomparably successful career comes from the two biographies collected in this insightful volume. "This Life," part of Francisco Pacheco's theoretical work Art of Painting, has never been translated before, and reveals the degree to which Velázquez's work challenged the tenets of traditional painting. Antonio Palomino's biography contains details of Velázquez's life but also tackles the wider aesthetic debate engendered by his subject matter and style. Richly illustrated with Velázquez's key works, this collection provides insight into the mind and world of a great painter.