With the exception of the early _bodegones_ of his student-years and a few rare excursions into the realm of religious and mythological composition, Velazquez’s life-work, as conditioned by the patronage of the king and the Court, was practically confined to portraiture. His unrivalled greatness in this sphere is due to the perfect clearness of his vision, which made him grasp the person or scene before his eyes at a single glance, and transpose his impression to canvas with undisturbed directness and completeness, and with an apparent disregard of the means of expression. There is dignity and soberness in all his portraits; perfect spacing; noble, firm contour; complete unity of all the parts produced by the sense of ambient atmosphere. And never is there the slightest hint of trick of hand, or mannerism, or painting by recipe. Each picture is the result of close observation, recorded with admirable directness and honesty. This supreme master of the painter’s technique seemed to pay no attention to technique—or, at least, the result is invariably so significant and so absorbingly interesting that the spectator, unless he approaches the picture with deliberate intention to probe its secret, never thinks of the technical means by which life so convincing has been breathed on to the canvas. [Illustration: PLATE XXV.—VELAZQUEZ (1599-1660) SPANISH SCHOOL No. 1731.—PORTRAIT OF THE INFANTA MARGARITA (Portrait de l’infante Margarita Maria) The Infanta, who appears to be about four years of age, is wearing a white robe embroidered with black. She is seen standing at half length, her right hand on the arm of a chair. Painted in oil on canvas. Inscribed:—“LINFANTE MARGUERITE.” 2 ft. 3¾ in. × 1 ft. 11½ in. (0·70 × 0·59.)] THE INFANTA