My enduring affection for Spain gets periodic boosts from ceremonies such as this.

On June 6, 2020, a group of Spaniards staged a reenactment of Velazquez’s famous “Surrender of Breda” to commemorate the event itself in the Dutch war of independence as well as the painter’s 421st birthday on June 5.

It was staged a day after the anniversaries, outside the mid-16th-century house where Velázquez was born, and which is being turned into a learning centre and museum dedicated to the artist and his life.

Masks were worn and numbers of persons kept to a minimum in respect for the coronavirus.

Enrique Bocanegra, a journalist and author, is behind a project to restore Velazquez’s birthplace after being inspired by a visit to William Shakespeare’s home in Stratford-upon-Avon.

“We’re just waiting for permission to start the restoration works and we’re hoping to begin later this month,” said Bocanegra. “We’re going to start with the roof but the problem with renovating a 16th-century house is that it’s like opening up a melon – you just never know what you’re going to find inside.”

(Sam Jones, “Veláquez painting brought to life by historical reenactment group in Seville,” theguardian.com, 6-7-20)

(c) 2020 JMN