Les Meninas

Las Meninas (Spanish for The Maids of Honor)

Diego Velázquez

Description

Las Meninas looks like a group portrait of the young Spanish princess, Infanta Margarita, surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting (the 'meninas'), plus a few courtiers, a dwarf, a dog, and even Velázquez himself, who's painting on a large canvas. But the more you look, the more complex it gets.

In the mirror at the back, you can see the king and queen reflected which makes us wonder: are they the ones being painted? Are we seeing the scene from their point of view? Velázquez plays with space, light, and perspective to create a painting that feels like its alive and thinking about itself.

Analysis

Las Meninas shows Baroque traits in its realism, complex composition, and dramatic lighting. The painting feels dynamic and full of movement, even though no one is doing anything dramatic. Velázquez uses natural light streaming from the right to model the figures softly but effectively, highlighting faces and textures.

Details

  • Date:1656
  • Medium:Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions:Around 318 cm x 276 cm
  • Location:Museo del Prado, Madrid