man Usher, Fonseca by name. This picture did
for Velazquez what the portrait of Admiral Keppel did for Reynolds, and
before the excitement died away, the young King Philip IV. had deigned
to promise a sitting to the clever Sevillian. The success of the first
picture of Philip IV. (apparently the early one now in the Prado) was
so complete that the king ordered all existing portraits of himself to
be removed from the palace, and gave the painter an order of admission
to his service with a salary of about two pounds five shillings a
month! Under the skilled hands of the artist we are permitted to see
the tall, gloomy lad grow up a dull, reserved man, and we read in his
face a part at least of the causes of Spain's ultimate downfall.

III

VELAZQUEZ IN MADRID

Of the painter's work at court in those early days we hear a little
from Pacheco, but the story of the times is more or less obscure. A
clever portrait-painter was not a very interesting person in the eyes
of a Spanish grandee. He was classed with the court buffoons and
dwarfs who existed merely to amuse. Indeed, portraiture was not above
suspicion in the eyes of some fanatics, who held that art existed to
serve the Church, and should not seek secular employment. There are
documents extant showing that Velazquez received eight pounds for three
portraits, of which one is lost and the other two (Philip and the Count
of Olivarez) are in Spain. In 1625 the painter received a present of
three hundred ducats, which was followed by a pension of the same value
and a gift of free lodging, and, in 1627, by the appointment to the
post of Gentleman Usher. There is no doubt but that the king was
attached to his young court painter in a certain undemonstrative
fashion. Pacheco tells us that Philip used to visit the artist's
studio constantly, reaching it by way of the secret passages of which
the palace was full.

The year 1628 marks an event of the first importance in the life of
Velazquez, for Peter Paul Rubens came on a diplomatic mission to
Madrid, charged by his government to pave the way to the conclusion of
peace between England and Spain. Rubens was then about fifty years
old. He stayed nine months in the Spanish capital, and, despite his
diplomatic duties and the gout, found time to paint an extraordinary
number of pictures, including five of Philip. He also copied the
king's Titians. Velazquez was entrusted by Philip with the work of
entertaining