Rubens, and showing him the art treasures of Spain, and
the friendship that grew up rapidly between the two artists was
creditable to both, because Rubens, then at the zenith of his fame,
recognised the amazing gifts of the young Spaniard, and Velazquez never
allowed the brilliancy of the ambassador-artist to tempt him from the
paths that he had chosen to follow. There are some who think that
Rubens exerted a great influence upon his young friend's art, but we
cannot pretend to trace it. Rubens may have widened his mind; he could
not influence his hand or eye.

Shortly after Rubens left Madrid, Velazquez completed his picture "Los
Borrachos," now in the Prado, and one of the acknowledged masterpieces
of his first style, though the tone is dark, and some of the figures do
not blend with their surroundings. In the late summer of the same year
Velazquez left Spain for Italy, in the company of Don Ambrosio Spinola,
who was going to take command of the Spanish forces. Soldier and
artist parted at Milan, and the latter went to Venice, where he stayed
with the Spanish ambassador and copied some of Tintoretto's pictures.
Thence he went by way of Ferrara to Rome, the honoured guest of a
relation of the Count of Olivarez, and he busied himself copying old
pictures and painting new ones. Like many of the artists who go for
the first time to Italy, he was influenced in some degree by Guido, who
was then living. He painted his own portrait, which is to be seen in
the Capitoline Museum, and went from Rome to Naples, returning to
Madrid in the early part of 1651.

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PLATE IV.--THE INFANTE DON BALTHASAR CARLOS

This is one of the Prado pictures of King Philip's eldest son by his
first wife, the unfortunate little prince who died while he was yet a
boy. When this picture was painted Don Balthasar Carlos was six years
old.

[Illustration: Plate IV.]

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It might be mentioned in this place that the painter's eldest daughter
was growing up, and that he married her three years later to one of his
pupils, the artist J. B. del Mazo. This clever artist, who was treated
by his master Velazquez as Velazquez had been treated by his master
Pacheco, is held by critics to be responsible for many pictures
generally ascribed to his father-in-law. There is a picture in the
Wallace Collection known as