Apollos' Head Print

Fine art print, created from an original oil painting. Diego de Velazquez (1599-1660) is one of my favourite painters. When I was living in Madrid, I often visited the Prado Museum to see his work. In the Forge of Vulcan, Apollo appears on the left in a forge where Vulcan together with four blacksmiths are forging. Apollo come to inform Vulcan that his wife (the goddess Venus) is having an affair with Mars, the god of war. Vulcan looks horrified and the other blacksmith are astonished to hear such news. In preparation for this painting, Velazquez did a study of Apollo's head, the main figure, Apollo. A few years ago, to learn about the Old Masters painting techniques, I decided to copy Velazquez’s study of Apollo. I thought that a small painting using three colours only would be less challenging for a total beginner than a more complex composition. I had nil experience painting with oils, working with pigments and glazes or drawing portraits. My version of Velazquez' head study is not an exact copy of his work. Velazquez painted both, the head and the background in darker tones. I used lighter tones than Velazquez because in the Vulcan’s Forge, Apollo is a very luminous figure -Velazquez used the lead white priming that would become a distinctive trait of his technique creating luminous compositions. I decided to practice creating luminosity. I think the result is a more relaxed and joyful head of Apollo.