Art

Diego Velbzquez was the premier Spanish artist of the Baroque period. He is widely considered to have inspired both Impressionist artists and the Realism movement. Eduardo Manet, among other Impressionists, was inspired by Velbzquez's use of color and free brush strokes. Velbzquez, often known in the art world simply as The Spaniard, has influenced modern artists including Rene Magritte, Salvatore Dali and Pablo Picasso.

De Treviso's novel, like Velbzquez's finest work, deals with the nature of Art. One of the few enduring quotes by the taciturn artist, which de Treviso uses in her novel, is: "I would rather be first in painting something ugly than second in painting something beautiful." This statement invokes the credo of Realism, rendering an accurate representation of the physical world on canvas, without sentiment or glamorization. This frequently results in portraits that are true to life, but not flattering, such as the "ruthless...