Benito Manuel de Agüero

Agüero specialised in landscapes and came to be quite personal in this genre. Velázquez's influence is evident in his careful three dimensional studies and in the softness of his tones. He was born in Madrid in 1626. He joined Martínez del Mazo's workshop and later worked in the old Alcázar in Madrid, where he was able to study the Venetian artists, especially Titian. The Flemish and Italian landscape painters, led by the French artist Claude Lorrain who had settled in Rome, also influenced Agüero greatly as can be seen in his paintings in the Buen Retiro Palace and in the palace at Aranjuez. He died in Madrid around 1670.