Rokeby Venus its central use of a mirror, and because it shows the body of Venus turned away from the observer of the painting. The "Rokeby Venus" is the only surviving female nude by Velázquez. Nudes were extremely rare in seventeenth-century Spanish art, which was policed actively by members of the Spanish Inquisition. Despite this, nudes by foreign artists were keenly collected by the court circle, and this painting was hung in the houses of Spanish courtiers until 1813, when it was brought to England to hang in Rokeby Park, Yorkshire. In 1906, the painting was purchased by National Art Collections Fund
Rokeby Park Rokeby Park Rokeby Park is a country house in the Palladian style in Northern England. It is located close to the confluence of the River Tees and River Greta, close to Greta Bridge in what is now County Durham. It was historically located in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Locally, Rokeby is pronounced "rookbee" (although many pronounce it "rowk-bee" and this is the more commonly heard pronunciation). It is the private home of Sir Andrew Morritt but is open to the public on selected days. The house is well known as the original English home of the painting The Toilet