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Palaces and temples were built,
armies engaged in battle,
the elements raged-
and the King in reality is nothing
but an actor in disguise, and his throne
a make-shift chair....
Masks and makeup, deception and
pretence - this is theatre.
Adapted from Richard Alewyn's work on life
at the Court of King Philip
IV of Spain, 1985
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Their numbers were legionary.
Some say there were 30,000 courtesans
at the Court of Philip IV of Spain. Reigning from 1621 until 1665, the
monarch had to leave governing to his regent, Count Olivares. No wonder,
for in addition to women, Philip IV was an aficionado of hunting, the arts
and literature. He was particularly fond of the theatre. Because the
country was in decline, the king, like his countrymen, withdrew into a
world of illusions. However, Philip IV did not content himself with
occupying the Royal box; he wrote plays himself, most of them comedies.
When he was not busy playing the King of Spain on the world stage, he
could be admired displaying his talents as an actor in amateur
performances put on at Court. Philip IV lived in and for the theatre. The
responsibility for designing this world of illusion devolved increasingly upon the painter
Diego Velazquez. After being called to the Spanish Court in 1623,
Velazquez had a meteoric career as a Court official. The last office he
held was that of Lord High Usher of the Chamber, the highest rank he might
attain in the king's retinue. Under
Velazquez's tenure, the royal palaces
were restored, enlarged and refurnished. For each of the numerous Court
revels and festivities, among them the marriage of the Infanta
Marie-Therese of Spam to Louis XIV of France,
Velazquez threw himself into
the task of designing all the decorations and curtains, stage sets and
backdrops. It was not long before he was, to put it in modern terms, not
only the Head Designer at Court but also its top-ranking Installation
Artist. Philip IV was very fond of the man who created his dream world. He
used to visit the artist in his workshop, which was in the palace. The
king also provided him with lodgings near the royal apartments. Now an
intimate friend of the king,
Velazquez had no compunction about disturbing
his royal master at any time. The painter became familiar with everything
that was going on at Court and in the royal family. How close the
painter's friendship with the king really was is perhaps shown most
clearly in Las Meninas. The scene is like a photographer's
snapshot, casually anecdotal about what was happening on the fringes of
real life. The little Infanta Margarita appears in
Velazquez's studio, while the artist is painting a double portrait of her
parents, which is reflected in a mirror on the rear wall. Responsible not
only for construction work and staging festivities, he was also charged
with ensuring that royal outings went smoothly. He saw to the linen, the
firewood, the servants, the carpeting and guests' comfort and welfare,
kitchen domestics and everything having to do with art. Overburdened by
his many duties,
Velazquez collapsed and died on 6 August 1660. He was
buried in the dress and insignia of a Knight of Santiago. After his Favourite's death, King Philip IV is said to have personally taken up a
brush and altered the artist's portrait. After all, when this picture was
painted, the artist had not yet become a Knight of the Order.
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