He was born to an important family of artists, including his brother, architect Isidro González Velázquez; and his father, Antonio, who was Charles III’s court painter and director of the Academy of San Fernando. His artistic training, however, is linked to his brother-in-law, Mariano Salvador Maella. This context ensured contact with the most important official commissions from the very beginning of his career, including the royal family, for whom he painted numerous frescoes at the Casita del Labrador in Aranjuez. These works presented mythological and allegorical subjects in a style that combines late Baroque elements with Neoclassical characteristics. In 1802 he was appointed court painter, and during that period he combined his work for the monarchy with commissions from other institutions, many of which were religious. Following the Peninsular War, he continued decorating the royal palaces, especially El Pardo, now at the behest of King Ferdinand VII.
Besides his prolific frescoes, Zacarías González Velázquez holds a place in the history of Spanish painting for a notable series of portraits, several of which depict members of his family or professional circles. These works’ precise and careful technique reveal a very subtle and delicate handling of expressions and emotions, making them a splendid reflection of the appearance and expectations of Madrid’s bourgeois society in the years that span the reigns of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII.
He was born to an important family of artists, including his brother, architect Isidro González Velázquez; and his father, Antonio, who was Charles III’s court painter and director of the Academy of San Fernando. His artistic training, however, is linked to his brother-in-law, Mariano Salvador Maella. This context ensured contact with the most important official commissions from the very beginning of his career, including the royal family, for whom he painted numerous frescoes at the Casita del Labrador in Aranjuez. These works presented mythological and allegorical subjects in a style that combines late Baroque elements with Neoclassical characteristics. In 1802 he was appointed court painter, and during that period he combined his work for the monarchy with commissions from other institutions, many of which were religious. Following the Peninsular War, he continued decorating the royal palaces, especially El Pardo, now at the behest of King Ferdinand VII.
Besides his prolific frescoes, Zacarías González Velázquez holds a place in the history of Spanish painting for a notable series of portraits, several of which depict members of his family or professional circles. These works’ precise and careful technique reveal a very subtle and delicate handling of expressions and emotions, making them a splendid reflection of the appearance and expectations of Madrid’s bourgeois society in the years that span the reigns of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII.