16th Century Spanish

Painter documented in Medina del Campo (Valladolid) from 1518 to 1575, the year of his death. He made a number of paintings in this town, some of them for the San José Convent of the Discalced Carmelites, founded by St Teresa of Avila in 1567. It was around this time when he must have been commissioned with the board painting Our Lady of Mount Carmel Giving St Simon Stock his Scapular created for the Monte Carmelo Chapel in the enclosed convent, where St Teresa liked to withdraw to pray, as well as another painting of the Resurrection. A third painting of St Dominic as Protector of the Order is currently kept at the Santa María la Real convent.

Vélez’s collaboration with the painter Jácome de Blancas (active from 1543 to 1574) and the sculptor Leonardo de Carrión (active in the 16th Century) in making altarpieces is also documented. Post has also attributed some boards in the altarpiece of the church of Tordehumos (Valladolid) to Vélez.

His mannerist style speaks of the influence of Alonso Berruguete (h. 1488-1561) while the elongated figures of the characters and their facial features as well as the rigid folds of the clothing are highly distinctive traits of Luis Vélez’s style.