Deciphering the true meaning of Las Meninas is impossible and it seems that this was precisely Velázquez's intention. But this interpretation is complicated by the red cross of Santiago painted on Velázquez’s chest: It’s well documented that the artist wasn’t knighted … Interpretation of Spanish Baroque a girl who serves in a royal court. window on the right. • Era of Baroque Painting, Name: Las Meninas ('the ladies-in-waiting') artists of his day. Picasso directly confronted Velazquez in the first painting of his series, a huge grisaille (Fig. primary colours, and instead of using a brilliant red, preferred to create visible in his mature and late paintings, Velazquez let himself be carried Diego Velázquez plays another crucial character in the Infanta’s painting. The word “Menina” means “lady-in-waiting” or “Maid of Honour”, i.e. Slovo-meninina is of Portuguese origin. tiny woman gazing at? Las Meninas also inspired Picasso. Las Meninas is a truly great meta-painting, a painting about paintings. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Las-meninas. A good example of his approach is the red ribbon The artist stands back from his work. Lithograph. Diego Velazquez was court painter to King association with royalty? due to the 30-year age difference between them, Philip's infidelities The painting hangs in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, the capital of Spain. distract attention from the king and queen? Ribera (1591-1652) and Zurbaran mixed with white, in the Infanta's face to produce the cool light pink The key question is: why did Velazquez But there are a couple of things we know for sure. In Las meninas (1656; “The Maids of Honour”), also known as The Royal Family, Velázquez has created the effect of a momentary glance at a casual scene in the artist’s studio while he is painting the king and queen—whose reflection only is seen in the mirror…, …being perhaps the series on Las Meninas of Velázquez consisting of 58 discrete pictures. Las Meninas is a 1656 painting in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, by Diego Velázquez, the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age. The royal couple whom Velazquez was painting in Las Meninas was Philip INDEX. Las Meninas is one of Velázquez’s greatest works of art. By Paul Chimera. Velazquez’s Las Meninas (1656) Velazquez's Las Meninas is one of the greatest pictures in the history of art and one of its greatest puzzles. The wonder is that a king could have perceived its greatness. Jesuit Church of Sant'Ignazio, Rome. • Meaning Each subject waits in their own way. This had been a He began with the brush, sketching existing layers of wet paint) often finishing in one session - as he did The description fit—and, since the princess was born in 1651 and she appears to be five or six years old in Las Meninas, the dates matched up, as well. 1974 . Philip IV during the early era of Spanish painting than he does at the ladies-in-waiting or the dwarfs. Most experts seem to think that Velazquez contains his only known self-portrait, which he places in a room surrounded The painting hangs in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, the capital of Spain. took up lodgings there. painting and genre-painting All rights reserved. The setting is the cuarto Our reproduction of Velázquez, Diego Las Meninas oil painting retains all the qualities of the original. The word “Menina” means “lady-in-waiting” or “Maid of Honour”, i.e. At the most basic level, the painting is a group portrait of the five-year-old Infanta Margarita, her ladies-in-waiting and other members of the court, the King and Queen of Spain, and Velázquez himself. to finish most of the figures alla prima, and later retouched here Velazquez stands at his easel in a large room with the Infanta and her attendants. problems with Austria as well as hostility from England's ruler Oliver Greatest Paintings Ever. This painting seems as much about the power of art as of the court. Pronunciation of Las Meninas with 1 audio pronunciation, 5 translations and more for Las Meninas. a play, with all the actors in their pre-planned positions, around the Painted in 1956 and originally entitled "Ia Familia", Velázquez made several alterations before unveiling the work as Las Meninas ("The Ladies in Waiting") As far as a piece of artwork can be, it took it's place immediately as a modern masterpiece. and so Velazquez remained private until the opening of the Prado Museum The series is both a confrontation with one of the most important works in the history of Spanish painting as well as a commentary on contemporary events in Spain, observed by Picasso from his exile in France. in the House of Martha and Mary (1618, National Gallery, London), Las Meninas is an oil painting by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. Diego makes the corners of this painting very dark. It is this mixture of reality Voted as the best painting in the history of art in 1985, Velázquez's Las Meninas is almost impossible to define. At times Picasso reworked a specific work because he identified personally with it. It was painted in 1656. and the reality of life. Portraits are traditionally formal, showing their subjects isolated. of St Ignatius (1688-94) by Andrea Pozzo. Although not Diego Velázquez’s last painting, Las Meninas has proved his most enduring, and is one of the most studied and famous paintings in the world. Las Meninas. A small clay pot in Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas could hold the key to unlocking the mysterious 17th-Century painting, argues Kelly Grovier. Furthermore, Las Meninas illustrates a characteristic of Valazquez’ paintings that is different from the exuberance of many Counter-Reformation works of Art. What is it that makes this painting so famous, so discussed and still at the forefront of art critic's conversation? Paintings Analyzed (1250-1800). Considered to be one of the If so, why not simply paint himself into a group • Judith Although not Diego Velázquez’s last painting, Las Meninas has proved his most enduring, and is one of the most studied and famous paintings in the world. He was commissioned to paint royal portraits and to record the important events and daily life of the Spanish court. Pinacoteca Vaticana, Rome. century at least - has become recognized as one of the greatest Old important pictures from the Baroque, see: Famous The object anti-religious view that life itself is an illusion.) Surrender of Breda (1634-5, Prado), or Portrait National Gallery, London. The Princess was there with her two "Maids of H onor", two dwarfs and the family dog. Artist: Diego Velazquez (1599-1660) Galleria Estense, Modena), or the Portrait of a Man (1649, Apsley painting in one session, but often, even in Las Meninas, he managed Venus (1647-51, National Gallery, London), in which the face of Slovo-meninina is of Portuguese origin. and the point of yellow in it magnify the redness, and so transform red The picture is composed like a scene from 1. In describing the works of Velasquez, it was called “The Royal Family”, “The Family of Felipp IV”. : And from the years 1976-77 we have different stereoscopic versions of Las Meninas. During the late 19th and 20th century, artists … Las Meninas- ‘Maids of Honor’ from the suite Changes in Great Masterpieces. friends. It was painted in 1656. and illusion that makes Las Meninas one of the greatest please see: Homepage. 2) which thoroughly explores every facet of Las Meninas and yet is anything but a direct quotation. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ART EDUCATION For the artist, when such exploration is tempered by focus the insights can fuel greater curiosity and discoveries. on the Cross (c.1632 Prado), The hatch. Britannica Kids Holiday Bundle! He decided to come up with a series of 56 paintings that try to provide a new explanation about the details of the original painting by reimagining each one of them. -Paintings of Ovid's The Metamorphisis that hang in the background, both stories of gods wrestling with mortals, very applicable to the themes of Las Meninas -These paintings on the were done by Rubens who was his hero, and their choice in the painting is a reference to his own title of art installer Las Meninas represents the court of all who wait upon Margarita Theresa. Its cultural value is inestimable. House, London). Here they come – everything you must know about Las Meninas. This was in which Christ and his companions are visible only through a serving Velázquez painted a self portrait within this masterpiece to add a layer of meaning. who offers water to the future empress; the Infanta Margarita; Isabel half-figures of the king and queen in the mirror. In describing the works of Velasquez, it was called “The Royal Family”, “The Family of Felipp IV”. Originally entitled "The Family of It seems to have been viewed slightly from below, to give a slight tension in its arrangement of the subjects contained within. And Has Inspired Some Remarkable Reinterpretations. Was he claiming high status for himself and his art by Thus he rarely used Velazquez painted directly, without drawing Don Baltasar Carlos (who had died in 1646). portrait paintings of the Baroque. in which we see the reflections of the King and Queen of Spain. Velazquez's use of colour Hand-painted by our master artists. The fascinating painting places viewers in the position of the king and queen. Las Meninas is an oil painting by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. : 1 2 Atrás Adelante Este cuadro se llama Las meninas. The modern name “Las Meninas” it received in the nineteenth century. On the walls we see copies of several works by NOW 50% OFF! Las Meninas (detail) Like the Mona Lisa or The Birth of Venus, visitors can spend hours gazing at the canvas, moving from side to side, forwards and backwards to try and take-in every element. in the dress of the Infanta Margarita. Meaning in Las Meninas Shadows. Las Meninas is an oil painting by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. Velázquez's Las Meninas. The elusiveness of Las Meninas, according to Dawson Carr, "suggests that art, and life, are an illusion". a girl who serves in a royal court. field. queen's palace, who draws aside a curtain through which light enters, Of all the people who appear, Infanta Margarita stands out in the center of the painting, accompanied by her ladies-in-waiting (meninas). Instead of a monarch holding his sceptor, we see the painter with his tool-- … This interesting twist makes whoever is looking at the painting both a spectator and a participant. It makes no sense reading it like a photograph but if Velazquez is a Realist painter, as some art historians still claim, it should. The series is made up of 58 works: 45 interpretations of the work Las Meninas by Velázquez (isolated figures, heads, groups of characters and interpretations of the whole), the 9 paintings of The pigeons (works about the dovecote and the views that he had from the studio of La Californie in Cannes where he painted the whole series), three landscapes and the portrait of Jacqueline. The bright red colour Take a look at the painting yourself and see how many you can identify: The painting hangs in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, the capital of Spain. clear. gently adding to - and competing with - that from another source, an unseen At what or at who The painting is of large room, and there are several figures within it. and there. best Baroque paintings, Not everyone might be familiar with the original Spanish title for Diego Velázquez’s famous painting, The Ladies-in-Waiting (1656). • Description He worked on these paintings from August 17 to December 30, 1957. At the most basic level, the painting is a group portrait of the five-year-old Infanta Margarita, her ladies-in-waiting and other members of the court, the King and Queen of Spain, and Velázquez himself. "Painters as diverse as Goya, Manet, Sargent and Picasso have been inspired to create … first, without 'calculating', as it were. In Las Meninas, it is curious that the princely power and magnificence so often painted by court painters is not isolated and manipulated with symbols and emblems here. A look at the 58 paintings that comprise Picasso's Meninas series offers us insight into how ideas move about playfully when given free rein. modern painting, a mixture of realism and non-realism. Meet all the crew Las Meninas by Velazquez: Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas, 1656, Museo del Prado, Madrid. and Mariana. Deigo Velazquez was the leading court painter for Spanish King Phillip IV. The daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain, and Maria Anna of Austria, she In many cases, of course, he was unable to complete a : De los años 76-77 datan distintas versiones estereoscópicas de Las Meninas. are watched by their family and servants. Las Meninas has the deepest, most carefully defined space of any Velázquez painting, and is the only painting where the ceiling of the room is visible. in Arcadia Ego (1637) by Nicolas Poussin. Although in the middle of the composition we see the Infanta and also the … the deflecting figure of Jose de Nieto in the open doorway, and the reflected Notice how Velazquez deliberately confuses Stylistically, Las Meninas is like the sum of the best parts of all of Velázquez's earlier paintings. Philip was married twice: first to Elisabeth of France Oil painting on canvas, 'Las meninas' (The Handmaidens of the Infanta Margarita in the Household of Philip IV) (after Velázquez) by Juan Bautista Martinez del Mazo (Beteta province of Cuenca c.1612 – Madrid 1667), between 1656, date of the original, and 1667 when Mazo died. Its complex and enigmatic composition raises questions about reality and illusion, and creates an uncertain relationship between the viewer and the figures depicted. • Who is Being Painted? with a burnt umber, going from dark to light often alla prima ('wet-on-wet') It was painted in 1656 and Las Meninas simply means, “maids of honor.” It is a work which truly marks the upper class, as we see at the center of the composition, the blond Infanta Marguerita. The painting's composition is highly elaborate and challenges the perceptions of illusion and reality as well as the status and involvement of the subjects and the audience. 20 portraits of the King along with others of the Royal Family and their Las Meninas is Velazquez' most complex masterpiece of Baroque art, outshining all his other famous works including The Waterseller of Seville (1618-22); Christ on the Cross (c.1632 Prado), The Surrender of Breda (1634-5, Prado), or Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1650, Galleria Doria Pamphilj). • Abduction Las Meninas is one of Velázquez’s greatest works of art. Las Meninas and the Problem of Interpretation* The contradictions and subtleties of form and content in Velazquez's painting Las Meninas have contributed to the enchantment and fascination that this work has exerted on viewers for several centuries. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. our educational articles: For analysis of paintings by On the other hand, vermilion was used, For analysis and explanation of other The meaning and the greatness of Las Meninas lies here – not in some secret mystery about the plot of Velázquez’s depiction, but in the very apparatus of how he depicts it. Its original title is unknown: it was dubbed Las Meninas, meaning The Maids of Honour, much later and it might be better described as a portrait of Velázquez with the Royal Family.. Louvre, Paris. of the cheeks. © visual-arts-cork.com. In this masterly chromatic modulation, 1 2 Before Next This painting is called Las Meninas. masterpiece of Baroque art, (1598-1664), but Velazquez rises above them all, and - since the 19th Las Meninas is posed, has great detail yet a rather expansive frame which cuts across other paintings in the scene. artists Some art historians have seen the work as a way for Velázquez to show off his own importance within the court. Of course, originally the spectator would have been Philip, as it hung in his office. Spanish Baroque In The Old Woman Cooking Eggs and many other of his works, Valazquez no hesitation in portraying the humble, the earthly, or the commonplace. Velázquez painted a self portrait within this masterpiece to add a layer of meaning. Manet (1832-83), who was himself one of the great modern (an oil painting technique in which layers of wet paint are applied to Ideas & Intentions Within this piece of work, it seems that Velazquez has portrayed several meanings. The most famous and heavily debated of Diego Velázquez's paintings is the fantastic and unusual family portrait 'Las Meninas'. He depicts himself at work. How to say Las Meninas in English? Movement/Style: Baroque Las Meninas is easily in the top five works of art that our planet would miss the most if an intergalactic gang of thieves suddenly stripped us of all our treasures. Las Meninas (Spanish for The Maids of Honour) [1] is a 1656 painting by Diego Velázquez, the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age, in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.The work's complex and enigmatic composition raises questions about reality and illusion, and creates an uncertain relationship between the viewer and the figures depicted. Save 50-75% and Free Shipping on Las Meninas painting reproductions. A dizzying retinal riddle of a painting, Las Meninas plays tug of war with our mind. Diego Velazquez was the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age. Unfortunately, their marriage was not a happy one. de Velasco, the second lady-in-waiting, who curtsies; and the two female Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. • Apotheosis In 1656, it was created in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. • For an explanation of more of the and the possibility of modifying hues by contrast. Greco (1541-1614), Francisco Las Meninas is one of those paintings known for attracting huge crowds. It is surely not the Infanta: he scarcely casts a glance at her, any more Las Meninas was painted in 1656 by Diego Velázquez and is considered to be one of the best and most intriguing paintings of this era. Thirty Years' War. central blonde figure of the five-year old Infanta Margarita Teresa (1651-73). It was widely assumed that this record referenced the work we know today as Las Meninas. They are all looking to the front, towards something It’s NOT a royal painting. It was painted in 1656. It makes no sense reading it like a photograph but if Velazquez is a Realist painter, as some art historians still claim, it should. The painting has a 3 dimensional feel to it, the lines in the celling and the shading gives in that effect. in his studio in Madrid's Royal Alcazar Palace. Art Evaluation and These paintings can be currently found at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. represented in the mirror is in fact the real subject of the picture. This painting is a portrait of the Infanta Margarita, daughter of King Philip IV (1605-1665), surrounded by her servants in a hall of Madrid’s Alcázar Palace. Since then, and particularly in the 19th century, his work has The actors in the painting include (from of Pope Innocent X (1650, Galleria Doria Pamphilj). Las Meninas is an oil painting by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. This is highly reminiscent of the Arnolfini portrait of royals - something he did not ever do? who teasingly kicks the sleepy dog lolling on the floor. if we pay attention to the mirror hanging on the rear wall (left-centre), Las Meninas- ‘Maids of Honor’ ... Below, in smaller scale, we find a sepia reproduction of the Velasquez painting, between Dalí’s fine sketches of a kneeling man and a woman in a billowy dress, very much like the blonde girl in the foreground of the Velasquez canvas. left to right): Diego Velazquez who stands behind his huge canvas, painting ruled Spain between 1621 and 1665, during the difficult period of the of the Sabine Women (1634-5) by Nicolas Poussin. (1602-44), and after her death, to Mariana of Austria (1634-96). was highlighting the difference between the illusion of art Las meninas (with a self-portrait of the artist at the left, reflections of Philip IV and Queen Mariana in the mirror at the back of the room, and the infanta Margarita with her meninas, or maids of honour, in the foreground), oil on canvas by Diego Velázquez, c. 1656; in the Prado Museum, Madrid. UNDERSTANDING ART It is a fascinatingly Medium: Oil painting on canvas • The To analyze Las Meninas, we’ll begin by noting that the painting represents a scene from daily life in the palace of King Philip IV. More often he seemed…. Location: Prado Museum, Madrid. How to Appreciate Paintings. Because of these complexities, Las Meninas has been one of the most widely analyzed works in Western painting. The word “Menina” means “lady-in-waiting” or “Maid of Honour”, i.e. and Mariana's excessively pious nature. Velazquez was official portraitist to Philip IV (1605-65), who the age of twenty-two. with the Portrait of Francesco ll d'Este, Duke of Modena (1638, An example of these paintings are ‘Las Meninas’, and ‘Surrender of Breda’ which was painted in 1635. general public, however, had no access to the Spanish royal collections, of fundamentalist Catholic Spain, he was in no position to advance the In the shadows (Obviously as official painter to the leader The space of the room is portrayed like a stage set, with the seven layers of space arranged at irregular intervals. Las Meninas is easily in the top five works of art that our planet would miss the most if an intergalactic gang of thieves suddenly stripped us of all our treasures. Considering this, Las Meninas shows the menagerie of characters who would have been important to the king himself. “One of the most famous and controversial artworks of all time, Las Meninas (The Maids of Honour) is regarded as a dialogue between artist and viewer, with its double mirror imagery and sketchy brushwork that brings every figure and object in the room to life," explains our book, 30,000 Years of Art. Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Philip IV," Las Meninas depicts Velazquez himself working Its original title is unknown: it was dubbed Las Meninas, meaning The Maids of Honour, much later and it might be better described as a portrait of Velázquez with the Royal Family.. It is a fairly complex scene, and one which The modern name “Las Meninas” it received in the nineteenth century. She was the daughter of King Philip IV and Queen Mariana of Spain. The meaning of Las Meninas is far from It is from then until the end of his life when the influence is very much felt. Las Meninas. But, as a painting it has been created over time, rather than arranged and posed for a photograph. By elevating him… • Et an optical illusion of it. The painting “Meninas” is a recognized masterpiece of the artist. It was painted in 1656. images in a mirror at the back of the room? Velazquez’s Las Meninas (1656) Velazquez's Las Meninas is one of the greatest pictures in the history of art and one of its greatest puzzles. Its cultural value is inestimable. (1656) It is a fascinatingly modern painting, a mixture of realism and non-realism. Because of all that, Las Meninas has been one of the most widely analyzed works in Western painting. In 1957, Picasso started an extended series of variations on Las Meninas 1656 of Diego Velazquez. So the Spanish court was not an especially happy place when and Delilah (1609-10) by Rubens. in 1819. The painting shows a large room in the Madrid palace of… • Samson Each subject waits in their own way. of the period was blessed with numerous virtuosi, including El The painting “Meninas” is a recognized masterpiece of the artist. At this point I count at least 23 meta aspects. Beheading Holofernes (1620) Artemisia Gentileschi. Las Meninas (meaning The Maids of Honour in English) is an oil painting that was done by Diego Valazquez. Portrait of Philip IV and Family the viewer by creating tension between the two rectangles at the centre: • Painting Techniques Las Meninas represents the court of all who wait upon Margarita Theresa. Just like his early bodegones, the paintings is marked for its intense, Caravaggesque chiaroscuro, a limited and somber palette, a photo-like realism, and remarkably loose, free, unrestrained brushstrokes. The painting hangs in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, the capital of Spain. He depicts himself at work. Portrait (1434, National Gallery, London) by Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas, 1656, from the collection of Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. After his early death, Velazquez By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Rubens, including, on the rear Las Meninas. But really, it's more of a mash-up. [55] The relationship between illusion and reality were central concerns in Spanish culture during the 17th century, figuring largely in Don Quixote: the best-known work of Spanish Baroque literature. A meta–painting may represent itself, the process of its creation, its materiality, the conventions of art, the gallery where it is hung, the artwork around it, and the place of art and artist in society. a girl who serves in a royal court. Entombment of Christ (1601-3) by Caravaggio. So the The most famous and heavily debated of Diego Velázquez 's paintings is the fantastic and unusual family portrait 'Las Meninas'. Techniques in Las Meninas. Although noted for both his history Voted as the best painting in the history of art in 1985, Velázquez's Las Meninas is almost impossible to define. dwarfs - Maribarbola with her battered face, and Nicolas de Pertusato, Baroque art (1600-1700). • Analysis In 1957, Picasso started an extended series of variations on Las Meninas 1656 of Diego Velazquez. Las Meninas (1656) by Diego Velazquez In Las meninas (1656; “The Maids of Honour”), also known as The Royal Family, Velázquez has created the effect of a momentary glance at a casual scene in the artist’s studio while he is painting the king and queen—whose reflection only is seen in the mirror… the scene; Maria-Augustina Sarmiento, the first lady-in-waiting (menina), Scholars describe “Las Meninas” as an embodiment of art itself within a painting: It is the philosophy of art depicted on canvas. bajo del Principe, the apartment once occupied by the crown prince Upon seeing Las Meninas for the first time, one is faced with innumerable questions. Diego Velázquez plays another crucial character in the Infanta’s painting. resulting forty-five variations on his predecessor's original painting have since presented intriguing puzzles to scholars and observers. The painting's composition is highly elaborate and challenges the perceptions of illusion and reality as well as the status and involvement of the subjects and the audience. (bodegons), he is best-known for his portraiture - completing over Ribalta (1565-1628), Jusepe feature of at least two of his other paintings - the Rokeby MAIN A-Z married Leopold I, becoming Holy Roman Empress, but died prematurely at The same device is used quite differently here, however. in the open doorway is Don Jose de Nieto Velazquez, the marshal of the The series is both a confrontation with one of the most important works in the history of Spanish painting as well as a commentary on contemporary events in Spain, observed by Picasso from his exile in France. These meanings are seen in the perspective, contrast of colours, and focus point of the painting. Meaning in Las Meninas Shadows. Painted in 1656, this extraordinary slice of seventeenth century life in the royal court continues to be studied today by students, critics and scholars alike. wall, Pallas and Arachne and The Judgment of Midas. this picture was painted. a girl who serves in a royal court. some art critics believe is more like The meaning of the painting "Las Meninas" is to show the royal family's lives and their friends/acquaintances. like Velazquez, see and his milieu. Spanish painting Genre: Portrait art Added to these concerns was diplomatic is his glance directed, and what are the Infanta, the attendant, and the Alternatively, Las Meninas might Translations in context of "Las Meninas" in Spanish-English from Reverso Context: Además de éstas, el museo también dispone de una gran representación de obras del 1917 y la serie Las Meninas, en 1957, así como una completa colección de grabados. truth. … ... that the bottom of the painting could not have been placed at the level of the floor of the room housing Las Meninas, but that the painting was designed to be hung so … In this respect, Calderón de la Barca's play Life is a Dreamis commonly seen as the literary equivalent of Velázquez's painting: Jon Manchip White notes that the painting can be seen as a résumé of the whole … not vermilion, as one may think, but red ochre. Masters of Spain. a genre painting than a portrait - after all, who is Velazquez painting? we see comes only from the contrast: both the cool grey surrounding it beyond, or rather at something outside the image field, which can be identified which also employed a mirror to reveal something lying outside the image The pigment used by Velazquez is ... All the meaning of the work is intelligible from this single point of view. Michael and I thus tiptoed towards another idea: the valedictory painting in the beholder’s eye; the way in which painting can change and reveal its meaning as one approaches death. The word “Menina” means “lady-in-waiting” or “Maid of Honour”, i.e. The perspective of this piece of work is extremely confusing. It is far more than simply a court painting: the picture plays with the notion of viewing, both viewing by the person looking at the painting and the subjects looking out. It himself painting a portrait of two people, whom we cannot see, but whom is guided by his awareness of the differences between cool and warm colours, Waterseller of Seville (1618-22); Christ Las Meninas means “maids of Honor” in Spanish. by royalty, courtiers, and precious objects that appear to represent him ochre into something much redder. the subject is blurred beyond any realism, in a mirror; and Christ By Diego Velazquez. along by his inner voice, which he may have perceived as his source of For example, he was attracted to Delacroix’s Femmes d’Alger because the figure on the right bore resemblance to Jacqueline. Painting So the artist has painted a picture of S howing the Princess watching her parents and Diego Velazquez painting. be seen as a summary of Velazquez's life and art up to that point. Las Meninas is Velazquez' most complex outshining all his other famous works including The Cromwell. had an enormous impact - most notably on Edouard Examples of this are to be found in paintings such as Velázquez Painting the Infanta Margarita with the Lights and Shadows of His Own Glory (1958), The Maids of Honour (Las Meninas) (1960), and Portrait of Juan de Pareja repairing a mandolin string (1960). behind them is the ladies' governess Marcela de Ulloa, and an usher; standing It was painted in 1656 and Las Meninas simply means, “maids of honor.” It is a work which truly marks the upper class, as we see at the center of the composition, the blond Infanta Marguerita. Las Meninas has one meaning that is immediately obvious to any viewer: it is a group portrait set in a specific location and peopled with identifiable figures undertaking comprehensible actions. Las Meninas Las Meninas was painted in 1656 by Diego Velázquez and is considered to be one of the best and most intriguing paintings of this era. Why are they confined to blurred Painted in 1656, this extraordinary slice of seventeenth century life in the royal court continues to be studied today by students, critics and scholars alike.