Diego Rodr?guez de Silva y Vel?zquez (1599?1660) is widely recognized as both the supreme exponent of the Spanish Golden Age and as one of the greatest artists of all time. During his lifetime, he was admired not only at the cosmopolitan court of King Philip IV in Madrid, but also by the imperial court in Vienna and the papal court in Rome. Rediscovered in the 19th century, his work became an essential stimulus to the development of modern painting. Fernando Checa's monograph recasts the traditional critical reception of Vel?zquez as a Realist master, exploring other avenues of interpretation by examining his relationship with Classicism and with the most progressive trends in painting in his day. At the heart of the book is the color catalogue, which includes Vel?zquez's entire oeuvre with numerous details.