Velázquez was not just successful as a painter. From his arrival at court he had continued to rise up the ranks in the royal household.

Like Inigo Jones at the court of Charles I, Velázquez became responsible for Philip's public image. He was put in charge of the decoration and modernisation of various royal residences.

In 1649, he made a second trip to Italy to buy art for the king, and while there, he made one of his most famous paintings, the portrait of the fearsome Pope Innocent X. By all accounts an extremely unattractive model, Velázquez has clearly flattered his sitter by modifying his face. His character, however, is undisguised and the picture gives a forceful sense of the pope's cunning and intelligence.

While in Italy, Velázquez had an affair resulting in an illegitimate child which considerably delayed his return to Spain - much to the king's annoyance. While there, he also painted the famous 'Rokeby Venus'.

Velázquez's close relationship with the king and his family continued. Having created a group of mythological scenes for the Alcázar palace, the artist's last years were mostly taken up with painting royal portraits. In his most famous work, 'Las Meninas' ('The Maids of Honour') he shows himself at work in the court.

In 1658, two years before he died, Velázquez was made a Knight of Santiago. It was an honour he had always desired.

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