1656 (Prado Museum, Madrid). From Spanish, the title of the painting is translated as “maids of honor,” and it depicts the artist’s studio in the royal Alcazar Palace, in Spain. Five-year-old Infanta Margarita and her retinue came to watch Velazquez paint a portrait of her father, Philip IV, and mother, Queen Marianne (their figures are visible in the mirror). The infanta is surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting, a dwarf, a dwarf, a nun, a courtier and a dog. The size of the work is 318x276 cm, which gave Velazquez the opportunity to paint figures as tall as a person.
“We are not spectators, we are participants in the action”
Marina Khaikina, art critic:“Velázquez came up with a trick: he transferred the figures of the royal couple from illusory to real space, and the audience - vice versa. In fact, where are the king and queen and where are we, the audience? Outside the canvas or inside it? It is at us that the dwarf’s gaze is directed, and Velazquez himself looks in our direction. The dog sniffed, as if it sensed the presence of strangers, which means that they noticed us, they know about our presence, they know that they are being watched. This value of the viewer for the artist, the conversation with him, is the most important thing in this picture. Velazquez “let” the viewer into painting, and this discovery changed the entire concept of art. If there were no "Las Meninas", there would be no Goya, no Cezanne, no Magritte, no art of the 19th century and the 20th century in general.
Velázquez also introduced a new dimension into painting – time. Everything that happens in the picture happens only here and now and will end a second later. The infanta will accept the drink from the hands of the maid of honor, the court marshal, who froze, turning around, in the aisle, will disappear, and immediately after him the king and queen will come out... The artist allowed us, the audience, to catch this moment, to catch the movement of time. We look at what's happening in the workshop. But the artist also looks. Here he is both the object of observation and its subject. For me, “Las Meninas” is a picture about the art of painting and optical illusion, and also about the importance of art. Can you imagine how highly Velázquez valued his craft to dare to place a self-portrait in a painting along with members of the royal family? And this - in conditions of strict etiquette and strict hierarchy of the Spanish court! In the eyes of the audience of that time, this meant the highest recognition.”
"Creativity conquers incest"
Andrey Rossokhin, psychoanalyst:“First of all, the painting makes me anxious because of the dark background, which takes up a lot of space. I even feel hopeless. It would seem why, because Velazquez offers us such a bright, peaceful image of a sweet family with a young, blossoming infanta in the center. The artist paints a portrait of King Philip IV with his wife, and the girl looks at her parents. Why did Velazquez choose to depict them this way?
It is difficult to understand anxiety without knowing the details of the story. The fact is that Philip married his 15-year-old niece, who was also the bride of his suddenly deceased son. That is, the king entered into an incestuous relationship. The children who were born in this marriage quickly died, and Infanta Margarita was their only child at that time. And no matter how proudly she stands, we understand that the father does not need her, but a son, an heir. Velazquez, whose studio was located in the royal palace, perfectly felt this atmosphere of horror and hopelessness associated with incest and punishment for it. And maybe that’s why he unknowingly depicted the royal couple not together with everyone else, but reflected in the mirror.
Before us is a family that cannot be looked at directly. Incest is so terrible that we can only stay alive if we see our spouses through a mirror. This feeling is enhanced by the presence of the dog, which, like a sphinx, lies motionless and with its eyes closed, despite the fact that the dwarf is pushing it with its leg - as if it really was petrified.
I see a reflection of this hidden horror in the girl, who begins to feel her growing up, her importance, but is doomed to fall a victim of incest, like her mother (which is what happened: she later married her uncle). And in this sense, the connection between the girl and the Marshal Don Jose Nieto, who is standing in the doorway, is very important. They are the only ones in the picture shown in bright light, and this emphasizes their connection. The man seems to hang over and dominate the girl. He will not be her husband, but his appearance and posture hint at her fate.
Finally, my attention is drawn to the artist himself, Velazquez. His figure largely dominates the picture; he has a very proud, lively appearance. With his participation, he seems to overcome the atmosphere of incest, introducing a creative (healthy) element into this picture. It is not immediately clear that the two paintings that hang in the background depict ancient greek gods, Athena and Apollo, who punish those who dared to compete with them in the arts. It turns out that Velazquez is so confident in himself that he challenges the gods of Olympus. That is, on the one hand, the artist talks about the fate of a dynasty that perishes because it challenged human nature and its social prohibitions. On the other hand, he himself challenges the gods. And creativity wins. Because it gives birth to what is truly alive, unlike incestuous relationships.”
Diego Velasquez(1599–1660), outstanding Spanish portrait painter, representative of the Golden Age spanish painting.
The court painter of King Philip IV, Diego Velazquez, completed work on the painting “Las Meninas” in 1656. Art historians are still arguing about what kind of scene the artist depicted. Thus, Paul Lefort believes that the canvas has no plot at all and is something like an instant photograph. Two other points of view are much more common. According to the first, Velazquez depicted the moment of working on a portrait of the Spanish king and queen, when their daughter, Infanta Margarita, entered the workshop. According to another, the infanta herself was the artist’s model, and her august parents came to visit their daughter. There are also philosophical interpretations. Thus, Walter von Loga notes in the artist’s gaze a devoted respect for his crowned master.
The version of Alexander Yakimovich is exactly the opposite, believing that the canvas is a manifesto of the artist’s freedom from all palace conventions and restrictions. But the most interesting explanation of the plot of “Las Menin” belongs to Vladimir Kemenev, who believed that Velazquez depicted a painting within a painting. He writes "Las Meninas" as he writes "Las Meninas", according to the reflection in the mirror. And there are some reasons for this.
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1. Infanta Margherita- five-year-old daughter of the Spanish King Philip IV and Queen Mary of Austria. It is unlikely that Velazquez is currently busy with her portrait - the huge canvas on which the artist is working is in no way suitable for depicting a little girl. Only one of his paintings, “Las Meninas,” has this size (approximately 3 x 3 m).
2. Mirror. It reflects the parents of Infanta Margarita. The version that they are posing for the artist can also be questioned - there is not a single piece of evidence that such a paired portrait exists. The king and queen were always written separately. Yes, again, the size of the canvas in the painting is not suitable for such work.
3. Diego Velazquez is the only self-portrait of the artist that has come down to us.
4. Keys on Velazquez's belt is a sign that he occupies a palace position: the artist was responsible for opening and closing doors.
5. Cross of the Knightly Order of Santiago adorns Velazquez's chest. It is known that Velazquez passionately desired to be knighted. His dream came true three years after the end of “Las Menin”, and the artist specially painted a red cross on his camisole. Both the keys on the belt and the order badge cast doubt on the version that Velazquez rebelled against palace morals.
6. Meninas. Young girls-maids of honor were called meninas. On the right is Doña Isabel de Velasco, on the left is Doña Maria Agustina de Sarmiento.
7. Paintings on the far wall of the hall. On the right is “Apollo flaying Marsyas,” on the left is “Athena and Arachne.” In both mythological stories talks about how olympian gods punished daring mortals who decided to compete with them in fine arts. Velazquez depicts himself against the background of these paintings in a moment of inspired work. According to Yakimovich’s supporters, this is how he contrasts himself with the heroes of mythology and emphasizes the artist’s right to complete freedom without any restrictions - both heavenly and earthly. We agree that this does not fit well with the view of Velazquez as an obsequious subject.
8. Jug. If the royal child wanted to drink, then, according to etiquette, a page brought him a vessel of water. In our case, this is Doña Maria. She stands on one knee and hands Margarita a silver tray on which is a small jug made of red Bucaro clay.
9. Duenna(mentor) of the Infanta Doña Marcela de Ulloa. She wears semi-monastic clothes as a sign of mourning for her deceased husband.
10. Guardadamas- a courtier who acts as an honorary escort for the ladies.
11. Don José Nieto Velazquez- possibly a relative of the artist, the marshal - the senior butler of the palace.
12. Maria Barbola- Infanta's favorite dwarf.
13. Nicolasito Pertusato- dwarf jester.
Pavel Vorobyov. Page of the book of reflections. “Around the World” No. 5 2012.
Analysis painting XV – XIX centuries. Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez, "Las Meninas"
Plan
Maintaining
2. General painting of Diego Velazquez.
3. Determination of the main features of the work “Las Meninas”. The plot of the picture, genre affiliation. Construction of the picture space. Features of the composition. Features of the light structure of the picture. Features of the color structure of the painting. The final characteristics of the artistic and figurative structure, semantic and content originality of this work art.
Conclusion
Introduction
Paintings famous artists allow us to immerse ourselves in the past, to understand how life was built, how people lived and looked many centuries ago. Moreover, we see the world through the eyes of a person of that time, which helps us immerse ourselves in the realities of ancient times. In many ways, we know history thanks to paintings, because every element painting tells us a lot. We peer into faces, study interior details, costumes and try to understand what these people were thinking. But not only the plot of the picture helps us understand the essence of a long-gone era.
What is the picture painted on, what did the artist paint with, choice color solutions, perspective, the play of light and shadow speaks volumes, often more than the plot. After all, the character of the painting and the character of the era reflect the character of the painter, his mood, his attitude to life. This means that an attentive viewer will feel and understand the essence of the time when the picture was painted. And then the result of your observations can be compared with your own ideas about that time. And the picture that we get can amaze the imagination. After all, often our ideas about the world have nothing to do with reality.
And now I want to go to 17th century Spain. To the land of red Spanish wine, brutal bullfights, passionate flamenco. And our guide will be the great Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez. Velazquez. Court artist of the Spanish court.
It is impossible to talk about the artist’s work in isolation from the era, from the way of life of that time, forgetting about the politics and economy of the country, from everything that influenced people’s worldview.
Main part
1. general characteristics Spanish painting of the 17th century.
The 17th century is rightfully considered the golden age of Spanish painting. It was this time that gave birth to many wonderful names: El Greco, Pedro Antonio Vidal, Rodrigo de Villandrando, Jusepe Ribera, Jeronimo Jacinto de Espinosa, Nicholas de Villacis, Juan de Toledo and dozens of others. The painting of the Spanish Golden Age, the Baroque era, became the period of the highest flowering of the Spanish visual arts. Spanish art researcher Tatyana Kaptereva notes the following: character traits paintings of this period:
- the predominance of acute observation of nature over artistic imagination
- concentration of attention on a person, to the exclusion of other layers of perception of reality (this led to underdevelopment landscape and the peculiar, extra-plot development of the everyday genre).
Many artists and painting schools allow us to clearly trace the general trends in Spanish painting of this historical period. One can especially highlight the Madrid school of Spanish painting, of which Velázquez was a representative. And without flattery or servility we can call him the king of the “Golden Age of Spanish Painting.”
2. General characteristics of the painting of Diego Velazquez.
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (Spanish: Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez) is a Spanish artist, the greatest representative of the golden age of Spanish painting. He was born at the turn of the century, in 1599, in Seville. Diego discovered his talent as a painter quite early, and at 10 he was assigned to study in the studio of the famous Seville artist Francisco Herrera the Elder. But soon their paths diverged and he apprenticed with the artist Francisco Pacheco for six years, starting in December. Pacheco, a man of broad culture and many-sided education, the author of a treatise on the art of painting, a faithful follower of Raphael and Michelangelo, and who himself made excellent portraits in pencil, was his man in the intellectual environment of Seville and among the clergy, since he held the position of censor and expert on church painting at the Holy Inquisition in Seville. The Academia Sevillana school of painting reflected an academic, official view of the presentation of religious subjects and images. It was at this school that young Velazquez received his first technical training and aesthetic skills, in which he became friends with the future sculptor and painter Alonso Cano and the famous Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbaran. And a few years later he became related to his teacher, marrying his daughter. This was an excellent help for the young talented artist and gave a start to his career.
The author’s first paintings showed that the world had found a brilliant master of the brush. The play of light on foreground figures, emphasizing surfaces and textures in the painting “Breakfast”, the painting “The Water Carrier”, famous for its visual effects. Also, Velascas’s paintings are distinguished by emphasized realism in the depiction of objects and accurate rendering of natural features, enhanced by the contrasting lighting of foreground figures and the density of writing. All works are made using a dark, often conventional background, devoid of depth, which leaves a feeling of airlessness, in a laconic and expressive manner. With all this, it should be noted that there is no doubt about the vitality and authenticity of the images and scenes depicted. But already at the age of 20, Velazquez realized that the standard writing style and plot for that time were far from his aspirations. The first sign was the painting “Christ in the House of Mary and Martha.” And the painting “Water Seller from Seville” is filled with subtle eroticism, subtle, but bold for that time. And so, thanks to the talent and patronage of Pacheco and Count Gaspar de Guzman Olivares, Velazquez became a court painter at the court of the Spanish King Philip IV. Long years he painted portraits of courtiers, high officials, church dignitaries and even the Pope. He was the first to elevate portraiture to the genre of representative art, presenting favorably those depicted on the canvas. But despite the fact that Velazquez served as a court painter for almost 40 years, he found his way in art, showed the world the beauty of nature and at the same time became the first Spanish artist, who depicted a female nude in the painting “Venus with a Mirror.” And at the same time, there is not the slightest vulgarity or rudeness in the picture, there is no vulgarity. This is truly art, great and unsurpassed.
3. Determination of the main features of the work “Las Meninas”. The plot of the picture, genre affiliation. Construction of the picture space. Features of the composition. Features of the light structure of the picture. Features of the color structure of the painting. The final characteristics of the artistic and figurative structure, semantic and content originality of a given work of art.
The king and queen are not visible. They are supposed to be outside the picture, in front of it. This is indicated by their vague reflection in the mirror in the back of the room. But in the foreground of the picture everything that appears to the eyes of those posing is captured. An artist with a brush and palette peers at his models, looking out from behind his easel. Next to him, in the middle of the room, stands the tiny Infanta Margherita, who was brought in to entertain the royal couple during the tedious sessions. Bent over her attentively are two state ladies, in Spanish meninas, who gave the name to the whole picture. The one who gives the infanta the vessel was called Dona Maria Sarmiento, the other was Isabella de Velasco. Behind Isabella, from the twilight, comes a woman in monastic attire, Doña Marcela de Ulloa, and the guardadamas - a court rank obliged to accompany the infanta everywhere. The favorite pastimes of the Spanish court have not been forgotten: the tiny dwarf Nicolasito Pertusato kicks the calmly dozing huge dog. The ugly dwarf Maria Barbola stands sedately nearby. The action takes place in the spacious chamber of the royal palace, reserved for the artist as a workshop. Quite in the distance the figure of the Marshal Don José Nieto can be seen. Throwing back the heavy curtain, he looks through the door, and a stream of sunlight pours into the dim hall. This work by Velazquez has long been included in the pantheon of world masterpieces and has become so familiar to our eyes that we almost do not notice in it violations of all the rules of group portraits. Meanwhile, this canvas is remarkable in that it captures everything that was not usually shown: it depicts the behind-the-scenes side of court life. Velazquez usually painted his portraits against a dark, neutral background. In the equestrian portraits of Philip and Anna the landscape served as a background, however spreading trees against the backdrop of these portraits they look just like conventional backstage, scenery. In the portrait of “Las Meninas” the background is not conventional scenery, but what is behind the scenes, something that was not noticed; at the same time, the background became the main subject of the artist’s attention, captured the entire canvas and, as it were, displaced the main characters beyond its boundaries.
Lifting the veil over the reverse side of the royal court, Velazquez strictly observes the rules of courtliness, everything looks decorous and even solemn. It was not for nothing that the king did not find anything reprehensible in the painting, and it took its place among the other picturesque treasures of the palace. Meanwhile, it is built on a complex casuistry of the elements of “exaltation” and “reduction”, and only their extreme confusion saved the master from the troubles that the shuffling of figures in “The Night Watch” had recently caused Rembrandt.
When describing the place of the royal couple in the picture, one has to resort to contradictory definitions. On the one hand, it is not Philip and Anna that are shown, but only what is behind them; on the other hand, they are exalted by the fact that the whole picture and even the artist himself serve as objects of their perception; their perception is affirmed as subjective, since the artist who wrote real picture, and the viewer viewing it, can take the point of view of the royal couple as mere mortals. The invisibility of the royal couple may mean that they are incommensurate with the small world of the painting; on the other hand, she loses this incommensurability, turning into a dull reflection in the mirror.
The same complex casuistry of “exaltation” and “degradation” underlies the image of the little infanta. In "Las Meninas" she holds the second most important place. It has been suggested that she is the main actor. Velazquez worked a lot on the image of infantas, pale, sickly girls, pulled into hose, in unchildish, prim poses. Portraits of growing children were sent to the king's relatives; the former imperial collections of the Vienna Museum contain several copies. Only the consonance of colorful spots, delicate, like a fresh field bouquet, enlivened this scheme, legitimized by tradition. Velazquez did not dare to break it in “Las Meninas”. The infanta doll is the most frozen figure in the whole picture. At the same time, her impassivity serves as a sign of her highest dignity. However, thanks to the finely balanced composition, the little infanta is placed in a somewhat unusual position. It would seem that all conventions and customs are observed here too. The Infanta serves as the center of attention for all the characters and occupies a central position in the picture. Her head falls strictly in the middle of the huge canvas, at a promising vanishing point, and all this makes her figure stand out from her motley retinue. However, this provision requires reservations and amendments. The canvas placed forward cuts off a narrow strip of the painting on the left. Actually, the picture should be considered a span occupied by figures, and within its boundaries the central place belongs not to the Infanta, but to the figure of the marshal stopped at the door. He appears in such a sharp silhouette against the light background of the door that the viewer’s eye, bypassing the foreground figures, involuntarily tends to him. This does not mean, of course, that the predominant role of the infanta is completely destroyed, but it makes her predominance half fictitious. An unprejudiced viewer does not immediately notice its central position. No wonder the painting was named after minor characters- menin.
At the same time, in “Las Meninas” another technique is used that deprives the image of the infanta of its regal aura. The whole picture is built on paired oppositions. This is reflected in the two bowed meninas, the correspondence of the mirror and the door and the two mythological paintings on the back wall. Among these correspondences, the strange similarity between the little infanta and the dwarf Barbola strikes the eye. The same meaningless look, the same funny sedateness, almost the same outfit. The ugly Barbola is like a parody of the pretty, almost unearthly image of the blond, blue-eyed infanta. It is very possible that direct parody was not the artist’s intention. In portraits of that era, pugs and bulldogs, with their ugliness, only set off the human goodness of their owners. At the same time, the inclusion of dwarfs in a group portrait not only immortalizes them on an equal basis with the highest persons, but also brings these persons down from their pedestal.
The painting “Las Meninas” is so remarkable, it so rises above the average level of group portraits of the 17th century that it gives perhaps a more complete picture of Velázquez’s worldview than many of his other works. Man in Velazquez's painting is more closely associated with environment, more susceptible to action external forces, reveals a greater richness of relationships with outside world. We can say that not only the king, but also man in general is not the main character in “Las Meninas”, as he was in classical art. It all depends on the point of view. There is the point of view of Philip and Anna, there is the point of view of the artist, there is the point of view of the viewer. The whole forms a system of worlds interpenetrating each other, or, in the words of the philosophy of the 17th-18th centuries, monads. Each has its own validity. From each point of view, the meaning of the whole changes.
In "Las Meninas" the decay became even more acute. The royal couple is replaced by its reflection in the mirror, so its real basis can fall away and be taken out of the picture frame.
But the mirror in Lass Meninas has another meaning. It falls strictly in the middle of the picture, next to the open door through which a bright ray of sunlight bursts in. Two light spots on a semi-dark wall: an open door leads into the distance, beyond the twilight hall, the mirror catches a reflection from the world in front of the canvas. The picture turns out to be a place where two spheres intersect. Perhaps the mirror motif was inspired by Velazquez from the Netherlanders, who were highly valued in Spain. It is not for nothing that van Eyck, back in the 15th century, captured his reflection in a round mirror on the wall in a portrait of the Arnolfini couple. But Van Eyck's mirror does not expand space. Reflecting the figure of the artist, it only introduces him to the peaceful comfort of a burgher’s house, as is hinted at by the inscription: “I was here.”
So, in terms of space, Velazquez's painting forms the intersection of two spheres. In terms of action, it connects several plot nodes. In the foreground, the artist paints a portrait, the infanta is serving the meninas, and the dwarf is frolicking. In the distance, the marshal, climbing the stairs, throws back the curtain and indifferently looks into the open door. Among the Dutch, and especially Pieter de Hooch, such figures of “outsiders” are often encountered. But in quiet burgher interiors, where a person becomes a staff, all action freezes, and this motive loses its sharpness. On the contrary, in “Las Meninas” the collision of two plans contains something of the multifaceted nature of the new European novel. The appearance of the marshal is so unexpected, he looks so naturally through the open door, as if calling us to leave the darkened chambers of the palace, that we, like the reader of a novel, carried away by the second plot line and forgetting about the main character, are ready not to notice the infanta and her retinue.
In classical art, the frame closes the picture, just as the prologue and epilogue close the poem. In Velazquez, on the contrary, the frame serves as just a random span, on the sides of which and in front of which there is reality. Depicting how portraits are painted (in particular, the Evangelist Luke - the Madonna), the old masters prove their veracity by comparing the original and the image. Limiting himself only to the process of painting a picture, Velazquez, in essence, shows neither the original nor the image. Looking at how Velazquez paints the portrait of Philip in the picture, we can guess that the Velazquez who paints Philip was painted by the real Velazquez. We seem to be going back to more and more high degree reality, but we never reach the absolute. The painting “Las Meninas” can be called a portrait about a portrait, a painting about a painting: the span of the door, the mirror, the paintings on the wall and the painting itself - all these are stages of incorporating the image into frames, stages of pictorial embodiment.
The picture takes us into measurable space, into the realm of the golden ratio. The regular rectangles of paintings and windows are reminiscent of the carpets of Leonardo's Last Supper. Only Velazquez's composition is not based on symmetry, but rather on the balance of figures and architectural forms.
You need to look closely at their relationships. We see that the mirror and the door in the back of the room are located strictly in the middle, as if on the sides of the main axis of the composition, directly above the figure of the infanta. We further notice that the paintings above them deviate slightly to the left from this axis, so that they appear directly above the mirror with the reflection of the royal couple. Moreover, both of these pictures are built according to the golden ratio and are so harmonious that this second tectonic system lies on top of the first and includes geometric shapes in the relationship of figures.
But if the vertical axes of the composition are somewhat shifted and therefore dynamic, then the horizontal divisions are more calm in nature. First of all, the entire painting, like one of Velazquez’s two landscapes “Villa Medici,” is divided into two equal parts, with the border between them being a narrow strip of wall between the paintings of the top row and the door. The lower half of the picture is occupied by figures.
The top one is free, more airy and light. This solution alone is as clear and simple as it could only be in Poussin (new proof that Velázquez’s significance lies not in colorism alone). But besides this, it turns out that each half of the picture is divided into two parts; the boundary of this division at the top is the ceiling line, at the bottom - the floor line, and both divisions quite accurately obey the law of the golden ratio. True, this pattern can only be established through measurements, which every viewer is not required to make. But it can be argued that anyone who perceives the picture with an unbiased eye unconsciously feels the harmony of its proportions. If you close the narrow strip at the top of the picture and turn it into a square, you can see how important these relationships are. The arrangement of the figures will remain unchanged, but the picture will lose its lightness and airiness.
We do not know exactly how consciously Velazquez applied all these forms. We do not know the sketches for the painting. There is nothing incredible about her creative history Random visual impressions reflected in quick sketches also played a role. However, in the form in which these impressions are combined, they form a harmonious and complete image, in which all parts are mutually conditioned, and the whole is distinguished by its versatility and depth.
Conclusion
It so happened that a randomly seen scene from ordinary palace life became the bible of painting. A picture that does not immediately catch your eye, but which will never be forgotten. Light, airy, delightfully simple and at the same time incredibly complex, exactly corresponding to the canons of painting. A painting that can be considered the crowning achievement of the king of the Golden Age of Spanish painting.
Bibliography
(1656)
318 x 276 cm
Prado Museum, Madrid
This Velazquez masterpiece is one of the most mysterious paintings in history European painting. What, after all, is happening on this canvas? Perhaps Velazquez was painting a portrait of Infanta Margarita when the king and queen looked into his studio? Or was he “portraiting” the royal couple when the infanta ran into the studio with her ladies-in-waiting and dwarfs? But wasn’t the artist’s intention even more subtle: to depict himself at the moment of creativity? Most art historians are inclined to believe that “Las Meninas” is a kind of “creative report” of Velazquez, “painting about painting.” The artist sought to establish the status of a painter by emphasizing the creative component of his work, which to many seemed like elementary craftsmanship. And yet, by and large, the question remains open, provoking the creation of “interpretive” texts and endless creative “repetitions” - replicas and quotes. There were especially many of them in the 20th century. A striking example- “Las Meninas” served as the basis for a large series of paintings by Picasso created in the 1950s. The great Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset wrote more than once about this work of Velazquez. Michel Foucault included the text "Ladies of the Court" (with detailed description Velazquez's masterpiece) into the book “Words and Things” - a kind of “gospel” of every consistent postmodernist.
Royal Court: "from and to"
Cross of Sant'Iago
After the death of Velazquez, King Philip IV ordered
add the knight's cross of Sant'Iago on the artist's chest.
At the time of the creation of “Las Menin,” our hero had not yet been knighted by this order (this happened three years later).
Reflection in the mirror
We see the royal couple reflected in the mirror,
but it is precisely this “remote” image that determines the entire character of the scene, gathering the threads of everyone’s attention.
Jan van Eyck came up with the idea of showing someone's presence with the help of such mirror reflections.
He used this technique in the “Portrait of the Arnolfini Couple,” which was in the collection of the Spanish king.
Free stroke
About how freely Velazquez handled the brush,
say his elegantly bent fingers,
written with several light strokes of light and dark tones.
In the doorway
In the opening of the far door we see the silhouette of the court marshal.
His gaze is directed towards the king and queen,
A bent elbow hand indicates the point at which the perspective lines converge.
According to her laws, the king and queen must be located strictly opposite him.
The Infanta's view
Velazquez literally “photographed” the face of the five-year-old infanta at that moment,
as she turned him towards her parents standing in front of her.
The movement itself is captured here - it is obvious that in the previous moment she was watching the dog,
who is teased by a dwarf standing in the right corner of the picture
Diego Velazquez's painting "Las Meninas" is one of the masterpieces of the Prado Museum in Madrid. It would seem about this famous painting Absolutely everything is known from the 17th century. However, many art historians believe that the painting actually hides many secrets. For example, an encrypted self-portrait of the artist himself. Moreover, the self-portrait is not real, but ideal, in which the painter shows not how it is, but how he would like it to be in reality. In this review we will lift the veil of secrecy over this beautiful painting.
1. "Las Meninas" can be called a royal portrait
In the center of the picture is Infanta Margarita Teresa, who 10 years after writing “Las Meninas” will be proclaimed empress, wife of Leopold 1, Holy Roman Emperor, King of the Czech Republic and Hungary. Her reign lasted from 1666 to 1673, and Margaret died at the age of only 21. Although she was depicted in many portraits, "Las Meninas" is the most famous painting.
2. In fact, the painting depicts the daily life of a young princess
Traditionally, portraits depict a person “isolated” from the rest of the world. In this case, the maids who constantly surrounded the young princess are also depicted. "Las Meninas" is everyday life at the Spanish court.
3. There is a king and queen in the picture
Above the princess's head it is easy to notice a painting in a dark wooden frame depicting two people. These are Margatita's father and mother, King Philip IV of Spain and his wife Marianne of Austria.
4. Velazquez depicted himself in the painting
Despite the fact that Velazquez was the king's court artist, it was a very bold step to paint himself in Las Meninas. On the left, the artist himself is depicted with a brush in his hand.
5. Only one person in the picture remained unidentified
In the center of the painting are the king, queen, princess, and artist. To the left of the princess (giving her a vessel with a drink) is the princess's maid of honor, Doña Maria Agustina de Sarmiento Sotomayor, and to the right (in a curtsy) is Doña Isabel de Velasco. Above her right shoulder can be seen the princess's mentor, Doña Marcela de Ulloa, and the unknown guardadamas who was obliged to accompany the infanta everywhere (his name was lost to history, but some modern scholars believe it could have been Diego Ruiz de Azcona). On the right are the permanent members of Margarita's retinue - the dwarf Maria Barbola, the dwarf Nicholas Pertusato and the princess's favorite mastiff (his name is also unknown).
6. The biggest mystery is what Velazquez really wanted to portray.
Some scientists believe that the images of the king and queen, who seem to appear in the background, are actually displayed in the mirror, and the infanta’s parents watched the process of painting. Another theory claims that the royal couple are not in Velazquez’s field of vision, so he could not purposefully paint them, but in fact the princess and the artist are looking into a large mirror, the reflection in which allowed Margarita to be captured in one of the everyday moments.
7. “Las Meninas” - the view of the royal couple
It is not known whether this really happened, but Velazquez depicted the picture as it would have looked from the perspective of the king and queen.
8. Few paintings were given the honor of being seen daily by the king.
Philip IV hung Las Meninas in his personal account, where I saw this picture every day.
9. The painting was changed after the artist's death by order of the king.
The king paid tribute talented artist after his death. In 1660, almost a year after his death, Velazquez was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Sant'Iago. In the picture, the symbolism of this order is depicted on his chest, but the history of its appearance is unusual (initially this symbol did not exist). This symbol appeared posthumously by order of the king. Some historians even claim that Leopold 1 painted the symbol of the order with his own hand.
10. Dimensions of the painting
"Las Meninas" are simply huge - their size is approximately 3.20 x 2.74 meters.
11. "Las Meninas" were given to the museum by the king
The Prado Museum in Madrid opened in 1819 to "show the world the importance and glory of the art of the Spanish people." "Las Meninas" are one of the most famous works in the museum collection.
12. The title of the painting has changed
For the first time in the Prado Museum, the painting is mentioned under the name "Las Meninas" in the 1843 catalog. In 1666, during an inventory, the painting was called "Portrait of the Empress with her ladies-in-waiting and dwarfs." Then, after a fire in 1734, it was called "The King's Family".
13. "Las Meninas" made Velazquez famous 150 years after his death
The investment in the Prado paid off and made Spanish art popular in Europe in the 19th century. It was thanks to "Las Meninas" that Velazquez became famous outside the Spanish royal court, among the general public. Velázquez subsequently became an inspiration for a new generation of artists, including the French realist painter Gustave Courbet, Édouard Manet, and the American founder of tonalism, James Abbott Whistler.
14. The UK has its own version of the film
At Kingston Lacy Mansion in Dorset there is a smaller version of the painting which has almost the same aura of mystery as the famous painting. It is unknown who wrote this line and when it was done. Some scholars claim that the painting in Dorset is by Velazquez himself. Others argue that the painting was most likely later copied by an unknown artist.
Especially for lovers of classical painting They will impress even those who were not familiar with the work of this artist.