Manet called him “the greatest painter of all.” Picasso was so inspired by his masterpiece Las Meninas that he painted 44 variations of it. Francis Bacon painted a study of his portrait of Pope Innocent X. Monet and Renoir, Corot and Courbet, Degas and Dali… for so many champions of art history, the ultimate sounding board was-and remains-Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez (1599-1660).

First available as an XXL-sized volume, this accessible edition brings together Velazquez’s complete works with a selection of enlarged details and photography of recently restored paintings, achieved through the joint initiative of TASCHEN and Wildenstein. The dazzling images are accompanied by insightful commentary from Jose Lopez-Rey on Velazquez’s interest in human life and his equal attention to all subjects, from an old woman frying eggs to a pope or king, as well as his commitment to colour and light, which would influence the Impressionists over two centuries later.