Las Meninas

The picture “Las Meninas” which was created by Diego Velázquez is a well-known work of art, and for good reason. It’s considered one of the relatively few masterpieces due to both the complexity and the quality of the art. The artist may have known the people and characters he is representing within the painting, and the room used may also have been a known location to the artist.

The painting uses distinct differences in value to bring focus to certain points. Emphasis seems to be on the blond haired girl near the center of the painting. She’s painted with mostly lighter values than other places in the painting, giving the appearance of natural light being shone on her. The artist also gave the four other people near her the appearance of …show more content…
What were the people represented in the painting dealing with at the time? The girl in the center is clearly someone important, probably some sort of royalty. The girls around her seem to be her maids or helpers. The artist is perhaps the artist of the drawing, but then what is he painting? Could he be painting the piece we are viewing known now as Las Meninas, or something other than this? The man in the open doorway in the background is looking back as though something caught his attention or startled him. In the background appears to be a mirror with two figures in it, but I don’t see anyone looking at the mirror unless they are behind the view given by the artist - maybe even the painting he is working on within this painting. Due to the central location of this mirror, perhaps it is reflecting the images of someone important. This would make sense if the painting the artist is working on is indeed what is being reflected in this mirror. Art like this painting captures imaginations with these sort of questions. The history behind the painting is known, but we’re still able to appreciate the scene this artist has laid out for us using paint, canvas, and a