One of the works by Spanish artist Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez will be auctioned at Bonhams in London, at the Old Master Paintings sale in December. The painting, discovered by Peter Cherry, is estimated to fetch £2 million.

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was born in the Andalusian town of Seville on June 6, 1599. His father, Juan Rodríguez de Silva, was a lawyer of Portuguese descent, his mother, Jerónima Velázquez was a member of lower-class nobility.

Due to his artistic talent he began as an apprentice to the painter Francisco Herrera, when he was only 10 years old.

In 1610 he continued his apprenticeship under Francisco Pacheco. In 1618 Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez received Pacheco’s permission to marry his daughter Juana and after their wedding he began to work as an independent artist.

He painted from nature to live models and developed into the greatest naturalist of the Spanish school.

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez attracted the attention of the Spanish court with a portrait he had painted of the Spanish poet Luís de Góngora.

In late 1622 Philipp IV’s highly respected court painter Villandrando died. In spring 1623 Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was summoned to Madrid by Olivarez.

Juan de Fonseca accommodated the young painter and modelled for him for a portrait. Due to this portrait Velázquez received great admiration at court and was finally allowed to paint Philipp IV.

He was also appointed royal painter. He produced a sensitive though not idealised portrait of the king, which reflected the royal dignity even without depicting the usual insignia of power.

During 1634 and 1635 Velázquez produced a series of paintings for the large ceremonial room at the new royal palace Buen Retiro in Madrid and in 1636 he extended the hunting pavilion Torre de la Parada, which already contained numerous paintings by Rubens.

Diego Rodríguez de Silva fell ill with a “heated fever”, from which he died on August 6, 1660 in Madrid.