Baroque: Las Meninas

Introduction

Las Meninas, painted in 1656 by Diego Velázquez in Madrid, Spain, remains one of the most captivating paintings that I have seen to date. At first glance, perhaps the work doesn’t seem any more interesting than any of the other masterpieces of the time, however upon further inspection, Las Meninas shows that it has many stories to tell, and raises a multitude of questions, many of which remain unanswered today. At first I was hesitant to write about this piece, as it is said to be one of the most analyzed paintings in history. However, I find it so compelling that I wanted to share it on this blog.

Art Elements

This is an astonishingly large painting, measuring in at 318 cm tall and 276 cm wide. This makes the figures in the painting appear nearly life size, giving a further air of reality to the painting. There is a dramatic contrast between light and dark between the foreground and background of the painting, with the foreground appearing to be more illuminated than the back. The lighter tones used on the right side of the painting provide the illusion of light and indicate the presence of a light source. This stark contrast between light and dark was one characteristic of the Baroque period. The use of light colors and the illusion of light further draw our eyes to La Infanta Magarita in the white dress who, at first glance, appears to be the main subject of the painting.

Although the use of color in this painting is fairly demure, there is one color that stands out to me: red. There are red accents on Velázquez’s chest, his paint, the cup the lady in waiting is handing to La Infanta, the chest and wrist of La Infanta, the wrist of the other lady in waiting, the pants of one of the dwarves, and the corner of the mirror in the background. I believe these red accents serve to draw the eyes of viewers around the painting, specifically to the mirror in the background, which is reflecting the image of the King and Queen.

Multiple subjects in the painting, including La Infanta, are looking directly at the viewer. This further draws the viewer into the scene, another typical characteristic of the Baroque period.

Multiple Interpretations

One of the greatest aspects of the painting, in my opinion, is that no one is quite sure what is really going on in it. There are many interpretations, all interesting and with merit, that attempt to explain what is happening.

For example, in the painting we see Velázquez himself painting a canvas. But what exactly is he painting? Is he painting La Infanta? Or is he painting the King and Queen that we see reflected in the mirror? There are also people who believe that in the painting he is actually crafting Las Meninas itself (mind-bending, I know). If you are more interested in this type of analysis of Las Meninas, I highly suggest watching this TED-ed or other videos on the topic, as there is simply too much information to try to fit into a short blog post.

Influence of Spanish Royalty

As noted above, there is much ambiguity surrounding this painting. Uncertainty about what’s going on, what it means, etc. Some argue that the painting holds a certain political significance. At the time of the painting, King Philip IV (father of La Infanta and pictured in the mirror) had previously lost his son, the heir to the Spanish throne. It is said that during this time, the monarchs were potentially setting La Infanta on a track to become the furture ruler of Spain, and perhaps this painting was capturing that importance. La Infanta never did rule however, as the King and Queen ended up having another male child

It is also important to note that Velázquez included himself in the painting, in the presence of royals. Velázquez was no stranger to the royal family. He served as court painter for King Philip IV, painting numerous portraits of the monarch during his many years of tenure. It is even rumored that King Philip IV would occasionally venture down to wherever Velázquez was painting simply to watch him paint. Given this connection to the royals, some speculate that through including himself in this painting, Velázquez was attempting to elevate the social status of painters. During this time period, painters were not as highly regarded as their counterparts in Italy or other countries. They were more on par with people of other trades who also worked with their hands, such as blacksmiths or tailors. So maybe by depicting himself surrounded by royals, Velázquez was striving to give painters the social respect he thought they deserved.

Final Thoughts

I often find myself wondering what I would do if I were able to go back in time and ask Velázquez some questions about the painting. I would be tempted to ask what he was painting on the canvas in the painting, ask him to clarify some of the questions that will likely remain unanswered forever. However, as tempting as it may be to ask for the answers, I think I would have to restrain myself. I want the painting to retain its mystery, as I think that that is one of the aspects of the work that makes it most appealing. If there were definite answers to the questions, people would be able to close the door of thought on the painting. However, for as long as the questions remain, people (including myself) will continue to return towards the painting and speculate on what is going on.

I would love to own a copy of this painting, however, I doubt I will ever own a house that could do it justice. With its large dimensions, it needs to be housed in a space large enough to let it breathe. I would not really like to own a smaller copy of this work as I think that its large size is an important aspect of the piece. For now, I will have to resort to visiting it in the Museo del Prado in Madrid where it is currently housed.

Citations

“Interpretation of Spanish Baroque Portrait of Philip IV and Family” Las Meninas (1656) by Diego Velázquez. (n.d) http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/las-meninas.htm

“Las Meninas” Artble. (2019) https://www.artble.com/artists/diego_velazquez/paintings/las_meninas

“Las Meninas” Museo del Prado. (n.d) https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/las-meninas/9fdc7800-9ade-48b0-ab8b-edee94ea877f

McKay, B. and McKay, K. “The Basics of Art: The Baroque Period” Art of Manliness. (2010) https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-basics-of-art-the-baroque-period/