King Philip IV of Spain

PART ONE: LECTURE

Wikipedia:
Philip IV of Spain, (portrait by Velázquez at right) April 8, 1605 to September17, 1665, was King of Spain (as Philip IV in Castille and Philip III in Aragon) and Portugal as (Portuguese: Filipe III). He ascended the thrones in 1621 and reigned in Spain until his death. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez (whose portrait of Philip is seen at right) , and his rule over Spain during the challenging period of the Thirty Years’ War. On the eve of his death in 1665, the Spanish Empire had reached its territorial zenith, spanning a then-unheard-of 12.2 million square kilometres (4.7×106 sq mi), but in other respects was in decline, a process to which Philip’s inability to achieve successful domestic and military reform is felt to have contributed.

PART TWO: PAINTING

Portraits of the royal family by Velázquez

REQUIRED READING:

Lope de Vega
Three Major Plays

This week we will read a second play from the Lope de Vega collection:

“The Knight from Olmeido”