Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan Analysis

Following his first trip to Italy in 1630, Spanish Baroque artist Diego Velazquez completed his epic oil on canvas, Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan. Requested without commission by Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan depicts the moment when the god Apollo tells Vulcan that Venus, his wife, is having an affair with another god, Mars. Apollo has presumably entered Vulcan’s blacksmith workshop to bear the bad news amongst the other blacksmiths in the forge. The moment when Apollo warns Vulcan of Venus’ adultery is the focus of the painting, centered by Apollo’s gaze and Vulcan’s reaction. Vulcan’s importance to the painting’s narrative is signified by his communication with Apollo.
Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan is considered a landmark in Velazquez’s career because it debuted a combination of both his Spanish and Italian artistic influence. The Spanish influence can be seen in Velazquez’ use of ordinary people. An example of these Spanish roots exists in both Apollo and Vulcan’s unidealistic appearances and a plausible Spanish workshop setting. Meanwhile, the colors used and rendering of the bodies of Apollo, Vulcan, the other blacksmiths, and the forge meet the Italian standard for the time period. Behind the blacksmiths in the forge, a murky colored wall rivals the bright orange and yellow marks seen in the nearby fire. In addition, Apollo wears an orange toga and crown of laurel to emphasize his godly presence. Leslie Goldman of Portrait Quest Multimedia further explains the strategic use of colors in this painting, “...by painting different figures in different ways, and one figure brighter than the rest, Velazquez paints a clear picture of the hierarchy in his picture. Distinguishing the figures by painting them colors of vary intensity gives us an idea of who in the painting is more powerful and who is less,” (Portrait Quest 1). Another bit of Velazquez’ crossed influence lies in his use of unidealized, yet classical nude,