Apolo en la Fragua de Vulcano
Encyclopedia
Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan is an oil painting by Diego de Velázquez completed after his first visit to Italy in 1629. Critics agree that the work should be dated to 1630, the same year as his painting "Joseph's Tunic
". It appears that neither of the two paintings were commissioned by the king, although both became part of the royal collections within a short time. The painting is currently to be found in the Museo del Prado
, Madrid.
visits Vulcan
, who is found making weapons for war. The crown of laurel on his head allows the figure to be identified as Apollo. The god Apollo tells Vulcan that his wife, Venus
, is having an affair with Mars
, the god of war. For this reason, the other figures in the room are looking in surprise at the god who has just appeared before them, some of them even opening their mouths to indicate surprise.
Velázquez was inspired to create this work by an engraving by Antonia Clempesta, modifying it greatly and centering the narrative action on the arrival of Apollo, using a classical baroque
style. It emphasises contemporary interest in nude figures, influenced by Greco-Roman statuary and the classical movement of Guido Reni
. The frieze
-style method of composition could also come from Reni. On the other hand, the clear shades of the figure of Apollo are reminiscent of Guercino.
This work was created in Rome without commission at the request of the painter Peter Paul Rubens who had also visited Spain in 1629. Velázquez painted two large canvases in the house of the Spanish ambassador. These two canvases formed a pair and were brought back to Spain with his luggage: "Joseph's Tunic" and "Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan".
, specifically from Ovid
's Metamorphoses. Velazquez interpreted the scene into a strictly human version, with contemporary figures. Apollo is seen wearing a toga which leaves his torso and abs exposed to view. Vulcan, in this picture, is just a blacksmith, as are the cyclops
helping him, who are men from the village who know the trade. Vulcan is staring at him in astonishment after having heard the news of his wife's adultery with the god Mars, for whom he is forging armour at this very moment. The cave in which the blacksmith god forges weapons for the other deities in this painting is shown as a smithy, similar to those Velázquez could have seen in Spain or in Rome. With characteristic mastery Velázquez also painted a variety of objects which would be commonly found in a forge
.
Velázquez interest in nudes is not surprising, since evidence of this appears from his in Madrid in 1623, although the appearance of them in his works increased after his first visit to Italy in the years 1629-1631.
During his Italian journey he was also influenced by Venetian painting, which can be seen in his use of colour, for example in Apollo's striking orange tunic. From his travels through Rome he was influenced by Michelangelo
to create extremely large and strong figures. The musculature of Vulcan and the other figures that surround him is not insignificant; they are athletic figures who show off their strength without modesty, even standing in positions that show off their muscles to greater effect.
On the other hand, Velázquez was always obsessed with achieving depth in his works. In this case he started to use what is known as "space sandwiching", that is, putting some figures in front of others so that the sensation of depth exists in the viewers' minds. In this way he portrays depth, rather than just using the view through the window seen at the back of the room. As in many of his works, the photographic quality of the objects (mostly metallic: armour, the anvil, the hammers and the red-hot iron itself) that appear in the painting which show realism taken to the extreme. At the back, in the upper right, various objects can be seen on a shelf which form a still life
by themselves, which is characteristic of Velázquez' early works.
As a Spanish painter his characters are ordinary people, not idealised as in Italian works. Vulcan could even be said to be quite ugly, and Apollo, despite having an aura
which differentiates him from the rest, cannot be recognized through any idealisation of his face.
Joseph's Tunic
Joseph's Tunic is a 1630 painting by Diego Velázquez, now held in the museum of the Sacristía Mayor del Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial ....
". It appears that neither of the two paintings were commissioned by the king, although both became part of the royal collections within a short time. The painting is currently to be found in the Museo del Prado
Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of...
, Madrid.
Subject
The painting depicts the moment when the god ApolloApollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
visits Vulcan
Vulcan (mythology)
Vulcan , aka Mulciber, is the god of beneficial and hindering fire, including the fire of volcanoes in ancient Roman religion and Roman Neopaganism. Vulcan is usually depicted with a thunderbolt. He is known as Sethlans in Etruscan mythology...
, who is found making weapons for war. The crown of laurel on his head allows the figure to be identified as Apollo. The god Apollo tells Vulcan that his wife, Venus
Venus (mythology)
Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
, is having an affair with Mars
Mars (mythology)
Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions...
, the god of war. For this reason, the other figures in the room are looking in surprise at the god who has just appeared before them, some of them even opening their mouths to indicate surprise.
Velázquez was inspired to create this work by an engraving by Antonia Clempesta, modifying it greatly and centering the narrative action on the arrival of Apollo, using a classical baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style. It emphasises contemporary interest in nude figures, influenced by Greco-Roman statuary and the classical movement of Guido Reni
Guido Reni
Guido Reni was an Italian painter of high-Baroque style.-Biography:Born in Bologna into a family of musicians, Guido Reni was the son of Daniele Reni and Ginevra de’ Pozzi. As a child of nine, he was apprenticed under the Bolognese studio of Denis Calvaert. Soon after, he was joined in that...
. The frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
-style method of composition could also come from Reni. On the other hand, the clear shades of the figure of Apollo are reminiscent of Guercino.
This work was created in Rome without commission at the request of the painter Peter Paul Rubens who had also visited Spain in 1629. Velázquez painted two large canvases in the house of the Spanish ambassador. These two canvases formed a pair and were brought back to Spain with his luggage: "Joseph's Tunic" and "Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan".
Analysis
All of the subjects were chosen for this painting and it is a scene taken from Roman mythologyRoman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
, specifically from Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
's Metamorphoses. Velazquez interpreted the scene into a strictly human version, with contemporary figures. Apollo is seen wearing a toga which leaves his torso and abs exposed to view. Vulcan, in this picture, is just a blacksmith, as are the cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
helping him, who are men from the village who know the trade. Vulcan is staring at him in astonishment after having heard the news of his wife's adultery with the god Mars, for whom he is forging armour at this very moment. The cave in which the blacksmith god forges weapons for the other deities in this painting is shown as a smithy, similar to those Velázquez could have seen in Spain or in Rome. With characteristic mastery Velázquez also painted a variety of objects which would be commonly found in a forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
.
Velázquez interest in nudes is not surprising, since evidence of this appears from his in Madrid in 1623, although the appearance of them in his works increased after his first visit to Italy in the years 1629-1631.
During his Italian journey he was also influenced by Venetian painting, which can be seen in his use of colour, for example in Apollo's striking orange tunic. From his travels through Rome he was influenced by Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
to create extremely large and strong figures. The musculature of Vulcan and the other figures that surround him is not insignificant; they are athletic figures who show off their strength without modesty, even standing in positions that show off their muscles to greater effect.
On the other hand, Velázquez was always obsessed with achieving depth in his works. In this case he started to use what is known as "space sandwiching", that is, putting some figures in front of others so that the sensation of depth exists in the viewers' minds. In this way he portrays depth, rather than just using the view through the window seen at the back of the room. As in many of his works, the photographic quality of the objects (mostly metallic: armour, the anvil, the hammers and the red-hot iron itself) that appear in the painting which show realism taken to the extreme. At the back, in the upper right, various objects can be seen on a shelf which form a still life
Still life
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
by themselves, which is characteristic of Velázquez' early works.
As a Spanish painter his characters are ordinary people, not idealised as in Italian works. Vulcan could even be said to be quite ugly, and Apollo, despite having an aura
Aura (paranormal)
In parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice, an aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object . The depiction of such an aura often connotes a person of particular power or holiness. Sometimes, however, it is said that all living things and all objects...
which differentiates him from the rest, cannot be recognized through any idealisation of his face.