Diego Velázquez: The Master of Light and Observation Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, a name synonymous with artistic mastery in the 17th century, remains one of the most revered figures in Western art history. Born in Seville in 1599, his life was inextricably linked to the court of King Philip IV of Spain, and it was within those gilded walls that he honed his extraordinary talent – a talent characterized by an unparalleled abi…