Diego's Hand, his Palette, and 157 years - the lifespan of an unexpected statue

The statue of Velázquez is an instance of public art in Madrid, Spain. It is located in front of the main gate of the Prado Museum, and it is dedicated to the Spanish artist Diego de Velázquez. The monument was unveiled on 14 June 1899, during the festivities for the 300th anniversary of the painter's birth, on the idea of the Círculo de Bellas Artes. The statue was funded by the Spanish State and the Society of Architects. Modelled by Aniceto Marinas, the statue features a seated Velázquez, with his palette and brush at rest.

The statue is made of bronze, and the pedestal, standing 1.9 metres high, is a cube made of white stone from Monóvar. On the front side of the pedestal, it features the name of 'Velázquez' surmounted by a star. The left and right sides of the pedestal are carved with the '1599' and '1660' dates, respectively. The back side of the pedestal reads 'Los artistas españoles por iniciativa del Círculo de Bellas Artes - 1899'. This statue imitates the hand gesture of the painter's self-portrait in Las Meninas.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons