Casa Natal Velázquez presents in Fitur its project to recover the place where the genius of the Baroque was born and grew up

The restoration works have brought to light two wells, as well as remains of ceramic pieces embodied in some of the artist’s great paintings in Seville, such as ‘El Aguador’ or ‘Vieja friendo eggs’

 

The cultural director of the Casa Natal Velázquez, Enrique Bocanegra, presented today in the framework of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) held in Madrid the project to recover the place where one of the great geniuses of painting was born and grew up of all times. The future center for the interpretation and dissemination of the work and the figure of Velázquez is destined to become one of the great cultural attractions of the capital of Seville and will have as its headquarters the only home that the painter who is still standing and who is also one inhabited. of the few vestiges of the architecture of the time.

As Bocanegra explained during his presentation at Fitur, the restoration works of the house where Velázquez was born in June 1599 are progressing apace and have made it possible to discover two chambers whose existence was unknown to date and remains of ceramic objects that serve to contextualize the work and time of an artist who developed most of his career in Madrid but was born and trained as a painter in Seville, where he left at the age of 24 to join the court of Felipe IV as the king’s painter.

Thus, during the archaeological tastings carried out in the Velázquez Natal House, there were two previously hidden spaces, which seem to correspond to a cistern and a snowfield and whose dating is being established. Ceramic remains have also been found corresponding to domestic objects that seem to have been extracted from important Sevillian period paintings by Velázquez, such as a ceramic jug identical to the one that can be seen in ‘La mulata’, a jug like the ones he depicted in ‘El aguaador ‘or a clay pot similar to the one seen on the table of the’ Old woman frying eggs’.

All these elements have been deposited in the Archaeological Museum of Seville but an instance has been presented so that they can be placed on deposit for their exhibition in the Casa Natal de Velázquez, the place where they were discovered. The works have also brought to light other elements of great historical value such as a mill wheel and other ceramic remains dated between the 16th and 17th centuries.

Following the model of important European cultural references such as Shakespeare’s Birthplace, in Stratford, or Rembrandt’s House, in Amsterdam, the Velázquez Birthplace proposes an immersive experience in the play, in life and in the era of which it is, without a doubt, one of the most illustrious sons of Seville. To this end, the museum project for the future interpretation and dissemination center contemplates the recovery of what is one of the few examples of popular architecture in Seville, which has kept the courtyards and the main entrance intact. The visitor will also be able to visit ten different rooms that will preserve the original structure and that will be decorated with original furniture of the time that today are exhibition pieces thanks to an agreement between the management of the Casa Natal Velázquez with important institutions and museums.
The use of the latest technology will allow visitors to approach Velázquez’s work in a totally different way than that allowed by traditional museums, while at certain points along the route, such as the one that recreates the Prince’s Hall, where the painting of ‘ Las Meninas’, offer the possibility of delving into the reality that surrounded Velázquez in the different moments of his life and artistic career.

 

Open the virtual house to the public

The ultimate objective of the Casa Natal Velázquez is to return Velázquez to Seville, to his place of origin, to the house and to the city where he was born. With this premise, the future interpretation and dissemination center now begins a new stage with the launch of its virtual space and its profiles on social networks, which will offer not only the details of the evolution of the project and the works, but also It will also offer informative content on the work and history of what was one of the great masters of universal painting.

 

For this, the Sevillian company 16 Escalones, responsible for the communication and marketing project as well as the corporate image of the Casa Natal Velázquez, has designed an ‘online’ space that opens the doors to the public of the future interpretation center and disclosure of the Casa Natal Velázquez. In www.casanatalvelazquez.com and the profiles of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube, citizens will be able to approach the figure of Diego Velázquez and learn about in-depth project progress in real time.

 

In the coming weeks, and on the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of Velázquez on June 6, the Casa Natal Velázquez will also launch the first of its participatory actions, another of the pillars of this new space in the capital of Seville that It also aspires to become a meeting point for events, workshops and conferences related to culture, heritage and art.

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