Baroque Era: Las Meninas

This is Las Meninas, a 1656 oil-on-canvas painting by Spanish painter Diego Velázquezz, who was Philip IV of Spain's court painter during the early Spanish Baroque Period.

Historical Context:

Diego Velázquez was a very prominent figure during the Spanish Golden Age of art and literature, where his career prospered following his move to Madrid, and he gained recognition for his portraiture after fulfilling the court painter position under King Philip IV.  By the time Philip IV commissioned Velázquez for Las Meninas, he was already employed for over 30 years and was beside the King for several big life events. During his time under the King, Velázquez was present for the loss of Philip IV's first wife and their child and continued to be by his side when remarried to Mariana of Austria, where had their only Margaret Theresa (the girl in the center of the painting and focus of the painting.)

The Painting:

Influence of Royalty: The influence of royalty is very notable in this work. Velázquez was a prime figure within the Spanish Court, especially as he worked directly at the King's court painter, so depictions of wealth and royalty are prominent in his works.  And as I described earlier, although this is a royal painting, Las Meninas interprets the wealthy lifestyle more realistically than traditional royalty works of other artistic eras, which tend to show only expected high-class life.  

Subject Matter: Although Las Meninas may appear to be just to be a straightforward genre painting with a simple glance, this piece is actually a complex scene with such an intricate composition, just as if it was planned like a scene from a play. While the composition of the illustration presents Las Meninas as a regular royal painting, this artwork actually demonstrates more of a behind-the-scenes of the Spanish royal family and displays more a realistic and informal perspective of their daily lives.  Velázquez amazes the viewers by establishing the room as if it was a stage, a scene set in place with each figure, or "actor" on the own layer of depth within the scene.  And because of this artistic subject placement, Velázquez creates some tension between who we should focus on, regardless of Theresa's placement in the center. 

Listed below are the other Figures 

• Two Ladies-in-Waiting (Las Meninas) - María Agustina Sarmiento & Isabel De Velasco 
• Two Dwarves - Maria Bárbola & Nicolasito Pertusato
• Behind Margaret Theresa (Her Chaperone) - Marcela De Ulloa
• Doorway - José Nieto
• Mirror Reflection - King Philip IV of Spain& Mariana of Austria 
• Painter - Diego Velázquez (Who inserted himself into his own work)

Art Elements:  Velázquez initially illustrated Las Meninas directly without any sort of planning, and with his usage of loose and unrestrained brushstrokes, he was still able to capture the realism of such a moment. Furthermore, Velázquez's technique for his use of colors in Las Meninas is highly praised, and the scene's tone and the atmosphere is what really leave people in awe. In Las Meninas Velázquez adopts the chiaroscuro technique, where he uses dark and light colors to create a dramatic illusion of the room's lighting, providing a natural surrounding contrast in the scene. 

Framing: I noticed that in Las Meninas, similar to a stage production, Velázquez incorporated the aspect of framing into his art. For stage plays, each character tends to have their own imaginary acting bubble, where the focus of their character can be observed.  In this painting, we can observe that figures such as Nieto and Theresa's parents are framed within rectangular shapes, such as the doorframe and the mirror reflections. And although it is not as noticeable, some of the figures presented are actually framing each other, providing a more subtle attention focus shift without the use of geometric shapes. This can be observed through Margaret Theresa, as her 'framing is being positioned between ladies-in-waiting, and having her focus is set at the center of the artwork.

Final Thoughts:

I have been very familiar with this painting since my first observation almost five years ago by my former Spanish teacher, as he would talk about his experiences studying abroad in Spain, as well as introduce us to various artworks and architecture from there. And although I do enjoy the painting, I personally would not want a copy of the artwork, but would rather visit the original work at the Museo Del Prado. I actually have a friend who has seen in it person, and I hope to experience the real thing as well!

Works Cited:

“Las Meninas Analysis.” Artble, 19 July 2017, www.artble.com/artists/diego_velazquez/paintings/las_meninas/more_information/analysis.

“Las Meninas (Ladies-in-Waiting) (1656).” Las Meninas, Velazquez: Analysis, Interpretation, www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/las-meninas.htm.

“Las Meninas - The Collection.” The Collection - Museo Nacional Del Prado, www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/las-meninas/9fdc7800-9ade-48b0-ab8b-edee94ea877f.

Shovava, et al. “The History and Mystery of 'Las Meninas' by Diego Velázquez.” My Modern Met, 7 Aug. 2019, mymodernmet.com/diego-velazquez-las-meninas/.