Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez, 1656.
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“Las Meninas” by Diego Velázquez, 1656. (Photo:Wikiart, Public domain)This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please readour disclosurefor more info.
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For over 350 years, art lovers have been fascinated byLas Meninas.
Now housed in Madrid’sPrado Museum,Las Meninasis a highlight of Velazquez’s accomplished portfolio of work.
“Portrait of Innocent X,” circa 1650. (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
But what is it about this masterpiece that has intrigued the public for centuries?
What makes it so groundbreaking and what was Velazquez trying to convey through the painting?
Let’s take a look at what makesLas Meninasso iconic and the legacy that it’s left behind.
“Philip IV in Brown and Silver,” circa 1631-1632. (Photo:Wikipedia, Public domain)
Who is Diego Velazquez?
Portrait of Innocent X, circa 1650.
This explosion of culture in Spain ran parallel to the flourishing of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty.
Velazquez’s career took off when he moved to Madrid.
When Philip’s court painter died, Velazquez filled the role and became increasingly known for his portraiture.
Las Meninas
Philip IV in Brown and Silver, circa 1631-1632.
Commissioned by Philip, the painting was hung in his private office at his summer palace.
It’s also thanks to Palomino that we know that it shows a room located within theRoyal Alcazar.
This fortress turned palace was the seat of the Habsburg rulers.
Infanta Margaret Theresa
The young princess would have been about 5 years old whenLas Meninaswas painted.
She later became the Holy Roman Empress when she married Leopold I. Maria Agustina instead knees before her and offers her something to drink on a tray.
Marcela de Ulloa
Standing just behind Isabel de Velasco is Margaret Theresa’s chaperone Marcela de Ulloa.
She is dressed in mourning and chats with an unidentified figure who is probably a bodyguard.
Nieto was also the head of tapestry works at the court and may have been a relative of Velazquez.
Here we see the figures of King Philip IV and his queen, Mariana of Austria.
What doesLas MeninasMean?
The fascinating painting places viewers in the position of the king and queen.
This interesting twist makes whoever is looking at the painting both a spectator and a participant.
Of course, originally the spectator would have been Philip, as it hung in his office.
Considering this,Las Meninasshows the menagerie of characters who would have been important to the king himself.
By elevating himself beyond the mechanical art of painting, he was displaying his worthiness.
This would have been important when one considers a small detail in how the artist depicts himself.
Exceedingly difficult to enter, he was admitted to the order in 1659 upon a decree of the king.
Could it be that the artist was pushing his own agenda prior to his knighthood?
Art historianJonathan Brown, a leading expert on Velazquez, has posited another theory.
Brown has theorized thatLas Meninaswas a sort of thank you gift to King Philip for knighting Velazquez.
Whatever the case,Las Meninashas remained intriguing for the complex game between painter, model, and viewer.
“The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit” by John Singer Sargent, 1882. (Photo:Wikipedia, Public domain)
Who is looking at who?
It’s an unsolved mystery that delights art lovers.
The Influence ofLas Meninas
The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit by John Singer Sargent, 1882.
Photo: Museo del Prado/Depositphotos
The oil painting can be viewed in room 012 in the Museo del Prado.
