Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Martínez and the second or maternal family name is del Mazo.

Quick facts for kids Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo
Family of the Painter, c. 1660–1665, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria
Born	Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo c. 1612 Cuenca, Spain
Died	February 10, 1667(1667-02-10) (aged 54–55) Madrid, Spain
Known for	Painting

Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo (born around 1612 – died February 10, 1667) was an important Spanish painter. He lived during the Baroque period. Mazo was known for painting portraits and landscapes. He was the best student and follower of his father-in-law, the famous artist Velázquez. Mazo copied Velázquez's style very closely. He was also a great landscape painter, and his painting View of Saragossa is one of his most famous works.

A Painter's Life Story
Starting His Art Career
Mazo's Unique Painting Style
Becoming the Official Court Painter
His Family
Images for kids
See also

A Painter's Life Story

We don't know much about Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo's early life. We are not completely sure when or where he was born. Most people think he was born around 1612 in Cuenca, Spain. His parents, Hernando Martínez and Lucia Bueno del Mazo, were from that area.

It's also a bit of a mystery where he learned to paint. He likely spent time in Velázquez's art studio before he got married. This means he might have been Velázquez's student.

Mazo married Francisca de Silva Velázquez y Pacheco on August 21, 1633. She was the only daughter of the famous painter Velázquez. The wedding took place in Madrid. Even King Philip IV and his main minister, the Count-Duke of Olivares, were sponsors at the wedding! This marriage was very important for Mazo's future success in the royal court.

Velázquez quickly helped Mazo get a job with the King. In 1634, Velázquez gave Mazo his own job as an Usher of the King's Chamber. This shows that Mazo was already a student of Velázquez by then. From that time on, Mazo worked closely with his father-in-law. They even lived together. Velázquez continued to help Mazo's career and got jobs for Mazo's children at the palace too.

Starting His Art Career

Stag Hunt at Aranjuez, Museo del Prado, Madrid

In 1643, Mazo became the drawing teacher and personal painter for the King's son, Baltasar Carlos, Prince of Asturias. In 1645, the Prince even became the godfather to Mazo's fifth child. Prince Baltasar Carlos asked Mazo to copy paintings of hunting scenes by other famous artists like Paul de Vos, Rubens, and Jordaens.

Mazo traveled with the Prince to Aragón in 1646. During this trip, he painted his famous View of Saragossa. He also painted a final portrait of the young Prince, who sadly died at age sixteen. After the Prince's death, King Philip IV made sure Mazo kept his job and continued to receive his pay.

Mazo first showed his talent by copying paintings from the royal art collection. These were works by great Venetian masters like Tintoretto, Titian, and Paul Veronese. He did this work very well. Copying these colorful paintings helped him learn the secrets of the great artists of his time, especially Rubens and Jordaens.

Copying so many paintings probably took up a lot of Mazo's time. He also made copies of Velázquez's royal portraits. For example, he painted a copy of Infanta Margaret Theresa that is now shown next to Velázquez's original in a museum in Vienna. Even with all this copying, Mazo still found ways to show his own bright and realistic style.

Mazo rarely signed his paintings. This made it hard to tell his work apart from Velázquez's. Because of this, there are only a few paintings that experts agree are definitely Mazo's. These include:

View of Saragossa (1646, Prado Museum)
Portrait of Queen Mariana in Mourning Dress (1666, National Gallery, London)
The Family of the Painter (around 1660–1665, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna)

Many of his works are displayed in the Prado Museum in Madrid, right next to those of his teacher.

Even though Mazo was a skilled portrait painter, some of his most interesting works are his hunting scenes and landscapes. In these, he developed a more personal style. He paid great attention to reality and included many small, detailed figures. His landscapes, like View of Saragossa and Stag Hunt at Aranjuez, show his careful observation. Both of these were ordered by King Philip IV. He also painted some still lifes (paintings of objects). In 1657, Mazo traveled to Italy. During this trip, he painted The Arch of Tito, which shows how Roman landscapes influenced him.

Mazo's Unique Painting Style

View of Saragossa, 1647, Museo del Prado, Madrid

Mazo's paintings were very much like Velázquez's. He had to copy Velázquez's style for the royal portraits. However, Mazo's paintings also show his own unique artistic personality. His portraits look very natural and are beautifully painted. Mazo was especially good at painting small figures. This was very important in his hunting scenes and landscapes, like his famous View of Saragossa.

Mazo used colors similar to Velázquez. But Mazo often liked to use more blue or bluish colors. He also had a different way of making people and objects stand out. He used bright highlights that made parts of the painting seem to pop out, even from the background. He also used clear perspective to show the space in his paintings.

Another difference from Velázquez was Mazo's love for showing rich details. He did this with bright, quick brushstrokes. You can see this detail on a person's clothes, a curtain, a floor, the surface of a river, or even plain dirt. These small details show Mazo's unique style as an artist. For many years, Mazo's paintings were thought to be by Velázquez. But today, art experts can tell their works apart using modern techniques and knowledge.

One of Mazo's students was Benito Manuel Agüero (1626–1672).

Becoming the Official Court Painter

Infanta Margarita Teresa of Spain in Mourning Dress, 1666, Prado

As long as Velázquez was alive, Mazo worked in his father-in-law's studio. After Velázquez died in 1660, King Philip IV made Mazo the official Court painter on April 19, 1661. Mazo's son, Gaspar, took over his old job as Usher to the Chamber.

When King Philip IV died in 1665, Mazo kept his job as court painter. He worked for Queen Mariana, who was ruling for her young son. Mazo's portrait of Queen Mariana in mourning clothes (from 1666, at the National Gallery, London) is one of the few paintings he signed. During this time, he also painted a portrait of Infanta Margarita Teresa in mourning clothes. This was before she left Spain to marry the Austrian Emperor. Mazo remained the official Court painter until he died in Madrid on February 9, 1667.

His Family

Mazo's first wife, Francisca de Silva Velázquez y Pacheco (1619–1658), had six children with him. She died soon after their last child was born. His second wife, Francisca de La Vega, is shown in his painting The Family of the Painter. She died in 1665, and they had four sons. His third wife was his sister-in-law, Ana de la Vega. She outlived him and later remarried.

Through his daughter María Teresa Martínez del Mazo y Velázquez (1648–1692), Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo is an ancestor of many European royal families today. This includes Queen Sofía of Spain, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King Albert II of Belgium, Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein, and Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.