Which artwork was painted by Velasquez?

• A. The Portrait of Innocent X
• B. The Death of Marat
• C. Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe
• D. The Bar at the Folies-Bergere

Answer: (A)

Velázquez was a Spanish Baroque master renowned for his portraits and his skillful use of light and texture. The work that shows his distinctive approach is The Portrait of Innocent X, painted in the mid-17th century. It presents Pope Innocent X with a piercing, direct gaze and a sense of psychological presence achieved through loose brushwork and rich, restrained color. This contrasts with The Death of Marat, which is Jacques-Louis David’s French Neoclassical scene from the late 18th century, and Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe as well as The Bar at the Folies-Bergère, both by Édouard Manet from the 19th century. So, among these, The Portrait of Innocent X is the Velázquez painting.