"""Pope Innocent X" Diego Velàzquez 1599-1660""

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (juin 1599 – 6 août 1660), dit Diego Vélasquez en français, est un peintre du siècle d'or espagnol ayant eu une influence considérable à la cour du roi Philippe IV. Il est généralement considéré, avec Francisco Goya et Le Greco, comme l’un des plus grands artistes de l’histoire espagnole. Son style, tout en restant très personnel, s’inscrit résolument dans le courant baroque de cette période. Ses deux visites effectuées en Italie, attestées par les documents de l’époque, eurent un effet décisif sur l’évolution de son œuvre. Outre de nombreuses peintures à valeur historique ou culturelle, Diego Vélasquez est l’auteur d’une profusion de portraits représentant la famille royale espagnole, d’autres grands personnages européens ou même des gens du commun. Son talent artistique, de l’avis général, a atteint son sommet en 1656 avec la réalisation de Les Ménines, son principal chef-d’œuvre.

À partir du premier quart du XIXe siècle, le style de Vélasquez fut pris pour modèle par les peintres réalistes et impressionnistes, en particulier Édouard Manet. Depuis, des artistes plus contemporains comme Pablo Picasso et Salvador Dalí ont rendu hommage à leur illustre compatriote en recréant plusieurs de ses œuvres les plus célèbres.



Pope Innocent X (Jambattista Pamfili) (1644-1655). Jambattista Pamfili was born in Rome on May 6, 1574. His parents were Camillo Pamfili and Flaminia de Bubalis. As a young man Jambattista studied jurisprudence at the Collegio Romano and graduated as bachelor of laws at the age of twenty. Soon afterwards Clement VIII appointed him consistorial advocate and auditor of the Rota. Gregory XV made him nuncio at Naples. Urban VIII sent him as datary with the cardinal legate, Francesco Barberini, to France and Spain, then appointed him titular Latin Patriarch of Antioch, and nuncio at Madrid. He was created Cardinal-Priest of Saint Eusebio in August 1626. He was a member of the congregations of the Council of Trent, the Inquisition, and Jurisdiction and Immunity. In 1644, a conclave was held at Rome for the election of a successor to Urban VIII. On 15 September Pamfili was elected, and ascended the papal throne as Innocent X. During his hold of the post the papal relations with France aggravated to such an extent that France invaded the Ecclesiastical States. On the contrary, the relations with Venice became very friendly. Innocent X aided the Venetians financially against the Turks in the struggle for Candia, while the Venetians on their part allowed Innocent to fill the episcopal vacancies in their territory, a right which they had previously claimed for themselves. Innocent X, as his predecessor Urban VIII, refused to acknowledge the new independent kingdom of Portugal and its newly elected king and did not give his approbation to the bishops nominated by the king. Thus it happened that towards the end of Innocent's pontificate there was only one bishop in the whole of Portugal. Innocent X was often irresolute and suspicious. He died in Rome on January 7, 1655.