This is a painting by Diego Velazquez entitled Las Meninas, Spanish for The Maids of Honour, which was created in 1656 in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain.
Velazquez was the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age and his works were greatly influenced by royalty as he was commissioned by King Philip IV of Spain to be the palace chamberlain.
Las Meninas depicts Infanta Margarita and her royal entourage of maids of honor, her chaperon, bodyguard, two dwarfs, and her dog. This painting looks as if it were somewhat a snap shot representing royal life. It is one of the most analyzed works in history because of complex questions it raises about reality and illusion and the relationship between the viewer and the figures.
This painting is not painted in a typical royal setting, rather it was painted in Velazquez’s studio. This brings up the question of whether it is an actual portrait or rather a depiction of what royal life entails. Velazquez himself was actually depicted in this painting standing behind one of the maids at the left and looking out to the viewer. This raises the question of whether the painting was also meant to be a self-portrait of Velazquez. Furthermore, an illusion is created through the figures in the painting looking out toward the viewer, but the viewer is depicted as being the actual king and queen of Spain. If you look closely you can see their reflections in the mirror in the background. However, some scholars have suggested that the so called mirror is actually meant to be a painting by Velazquez of the king and queen.
This is truly a fascinating piece of work and the unanswered questions are ones that keep the viewer thinking about this piece long after they have viewed it which is precisely why I like it. I personally think this a sort of self-portrait of Velazquez in which he is showing the viewer the workings of his daily life and the viewer being depicted as the king and queen shows how he has been taken under their wing. After all, Velazquez’s royal position gave him many perks other less respected artists did not have. I also really love the way Margarita’s face shows her youth and at the same time displays this look of self-importance, almost along the lines of ego-centrism.
Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Meninas
http://www.evl.uic.edu/chris/meninas/
http://smarthistory.org/Velazquez-Las-Meninas.html
November 27, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Las Meninas is one of my favorites. I taught kids for many years, so this was an excellent work to use with children because it is so intriguing. I enjoyed your comment on the ego centric nature of royalty and royal children. Most kids pick up on that right away. They also think that she doesn’t have much fun either.
March 15, 2010 at 1:52 am
At first glance, this painting looks like it is going to be boring. For the most part it is quite dark, and it doesn’t seem like very much is going on. But, your evaluation of the painting really brought some of the details to light, and raised interesting questions. It is obvious from your submission that you did your research and have solid information about the painting.
July 12, 2010 at 8:43 pm
You picked an interesting piece. I think that the frame in the background is indeed a mirror because of how bright it is compared to the other paintings. The reason that it looks like a painting is because the queen and king are being painted by the gentleman on the left. Diego Velazquez was being very thoughtful and clever when he put together this piece. I think you pointed out all the information needed, and your review brought out some very interesting aspects of the painting.
August 9, 2010 at 3:23 am
My initial reaction to this piece was not very positive. It’s pretty dark and busy and I didn’t like the way Velazdquez is staring out at the viewer. But your blog did a great job of pointing out the interesting tidbits about this work. Your description of the Infanta is great! I also like the idea that her parents are watching the scene and we’re seeing them in the mirror, rather than that being another portrait. The artist may be sending us a message about how dependent he is on royalty. I read where portraits were his favorite type of paintings and this work does give a good glimpse of what goes on in his studio when he works with royalty and their entourage. Did you notice that this painting has a couple of things in common with Van Eyck’s The Arnolfini Marriage? Both works have people in a mirror in the background and both contain the faithful dog.
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