Velazquez

Diego Velázquez's 'The Toilet of Venus ('The Rokeby Venus')' and 'Portrait of Archbishop Fernando de Valdés' in Room 30. 'The Toilet of Venus' is the only surviving example of a female nude by Velázquez. It is first recorded in June 1651 in the collection of the Marqués del Carpio, son of the First Minister of Spain. It was probably made for the Marqués and was presumably displayed privately, thus avoiding the censure of the Spanish Inquisition. Photo by #nationalgallery photographer Tom Patterson. #diegovelazquez #velazquez #venus #cupid #spanishpainting #spanishart

A photo posted by National Gallery (@national_gallery) on Jun 6, 2016 at 9:31am PDT

The National Gallery in London offers a rare (for me, at least) glimpse at a visual juxtaposition. I wonder how the Archbishop came to reside next to Venus.