Apolo en la fragua de Vulcano or, La fragua de Vulcano ("Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan"), 1629 or 30.
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| A preparatory sketch for the head of Apollo. |
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La túnica de José ("Joseph's Tunic" or, "Joseph's Bloody Coat Brought to Jacob"), 1630.
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These two large paintings - almost exactly the same size at seven by eight feet and seven by nine, respectively - were painted during Velázquez' year and a half sojourn in Italy. While illustrating very different subject matter, because of their scale and compositional similarity, they are often thought of as a sort of pair. Though typically housed in different museums - the Vulcan's Forge at the Prado, Joseph's Coat at the Escorial - the two were "re-united" earlier this year in an exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris.
