Although Bacon revered Velázquez 's portrait , he did not try and reproduce the earlier painting . In interviews , he said that he saw flaws in Velázquez 's work and that he viewed that social structure and order as , according to art historian Wieland Schmied , " obsolete and decayed " . Bacon 's approach was to elevate his subject so he could knock him down again , thereby making a sly comment on the treatment of royalty in both old master and contemporary painting . Yet Velázquez 's influence is apparent in many aspects of the painting . The sitter 's pose closely echoes the original , as does the violet and white colouring of his cope , which is built up through broad , thick , brush @-@ strokes . The influence can be further seen in the gold @-@ coloured ornaments on the back of the seat that extend on both sides of the figure . Art historian Armin Zweite describes the work as a mixture of reverence and subversion that pays tribute to Velázquez , while at the same time deconstructs his painting .