Vulcan's Forge, Velázquez

This is one of the most elaborate works and the first in which the painter addressed a mythological theme.
The canvas depicts the Greek god Apollo visiting the forge run by the god Vulcan to inform him that Venus, his wife, has betrayed him with Mars, who is astonished by Apollo's words.
The composition and finely achieved anatomical proportions are characteristic of the Italian school, learned by Velázquez during his stay in Rome.
The painting was created from a costumbrista (costumbrist) perspective, this can be seen in the absence of glows on the god Vulcan and the replacement of the cyclopes, who are the original assistants of the god-smith, by four young men. Diego Velázquez seeks to bring this scene down from Olympus to make it closer to the people, presenting it also as a moment of natural life.