Las Meninas by Diego Velásquez

Spain's famous Diego Velásquez created with the painting Las Meninas a work of art which still fascinates observers to this day, artists and art fans alike. Completed in 1656, it is a work that still raises many questions, filled as it is with its somewhat bizarre reproduction of space and light and the many enigmatic figures which fill it. One can't shake the feeling that the painting was painted much later than 1656, and is at times even reminded of another famous Spanish painter's works; Salvador Dali.

Upon closer examination, it soon becomes clear that the painting is in fact an illusion of the artist - creating an illusion. And that's when the fun begins. Part of the fascination with this masterpiece is trying to figure out what it is Velázquez is trying to represent on canvas. Ostensibly a portrait of the Spanish royal court centered on the king's daughter, one quickly realizes that is not centered on her at all. The king and queen are present, we see, reflected in the mirror. But strangely this places them standing in the same position we viewers find ourselves in. Before long one finds oneself in a form of art meditation, trying to explain the curious effects the figures and their positions in the painting have on us. Indeed, what is art here and what reality?

And what is human nature, for that matter? Much the same way that people enjoy reading celebrity magazines today, the Spanish were just as curious about what may or may not have taken place within the royal's private quarters, too. Before Las Meninas, portraiture tended to follow stiff formalities but Velázquez certainly broke with tradition here. Here things began to change.

Surrounded by her ladies in waiting, the family dog and two dwarves, Velázquez made sure that those people kept behind Margarita (the king's daughter) were also worthy of being painted. And to the left of her we even find Velázquez himself, paintbrush and easel in hand, poised in front of his enormous canvas. For the first time, an artist has come to assert his own position in his own work of art. And then the next question about perspective comes up. If Velázquez is painting the young princess, why is he doing so from behind? Perhaps Velázquez is actually painting King Philip IV and his wife as they stand before him and Margarita is simply there to observe her parents. Or was Velázquez using his status as Palace Chamberlain to play power games by placing himself at the forefront of the pictures and the royals as a mere reflection? Or was he possibly thinking of elevating the status of the viewer to that of a king?

Whatever the reasons may be, everyone who admires Las Meninas must make that choice for themselves - and this is probably how Velázquez intended his painting to be interpreted all along. And this is what makes it such an enduring and intriguing piece of art. Las Meninas is on display at Madrid's famous Museo del Prado.

References:
Natalie Rivera http://evergreen.loyola.edu/brnygren/www/Honors/velazquez.htm
Kenneth Clark http://www.artchive.com/meninas.htm
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Meninas