In 1619, Diego Vel?zquez is an emerging painter in the Sevillian academy of his father-in-law, Francisco Pacheco, but his mind is on painting large canvases. His ambition soon takes him to the court of Philip IV, where he soon rises to prominence. Meanwhile, the country is immersed in military defeats and national chaos. As Vel?zquez receives privileges he becomes aware of the decadence of the court. Torn between family duty and the easy seductions...