Here are some videos and images about the painting Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez. It was a very confusing painting so I have included a video explaining it in more detail and also Picasso's interpretations of the painting too. Oh and at the end is one with the Powerpuff Girls in it, random?
Below is an explaination and information about the painting,This is a stunning painting that now hangs in the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Spain. It is an oil on canvas and measures approximately 10’5″ x 9′.
It forms a culmination of works and techniques that the artist had used in earlier works. The mirror in his Rokeby Venus, and in Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, we see a similar type of foreground and background interaction happening, with Mary and Martha in the foreground, with Christ and his disciples in the background.
Las Meninas is one of Velázquez’s greatest works of art. It was painted in 1656 and Las Meninas simply means, “maids of honor.” It is a work which truly marks the upper class, as we see at the center of the composition, the blond Infanta Marguerita. She was the daughter of King Philip IV and Queen Mariana of Spain. The painting shows the girl not in her regal attire (there is no crown for a start), but in a setting of the artist’s studio, herself being painted. It shows her servants around her, along with a couple of dwarves, two adult figures, and at the forefront of the picture, a dog lying down.
In the background, we see a mirror presumably with her parents in, standing where the viewer of the painting would be. The way the artist has captured the reflection and the light shining onto the bottom right hand side of this mirror is extraordinary. We also see the figure of Don José Nieto Velázquez the queen’s chamberlain looking in on the entourage. He was the head of the royal tapestry works of the time, so no doubt came in to check on the status of the piece.
We can also see that the artist (Velázquez himself), is peering from his large canvas to look into a mirror and paint the reflection of the entire scene. This is why we see him in the painting as well. It is a curious, but very interesting perspective from which to paint.
This painting was not meant for public display, it was primarily for the King’s private office and this is reflected by the very relaxed and comfortable setting, as opposed to the normal deliberately posed pictures we generally see of royalty.
Of course for a royal, size is extremely important, and this painting is over 10 foot by 9 foot. This is a symbol of rank and distinction, not to mention the fact of being able to commission and then own such a piece. Added to this the prestige of someone of Velázquez’s skill and ability is also an important factor in portraying such lavishness. [1]
[1] Totally History. (2011). Las Meninas. Available: http://totallyhistory.com/las-meninas/. Last accessed 2013.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9wc67ohjT1qdtcnno1_400.jpg
http://www.writeyourscreenplay.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/picasso_meninas-95-resized-600.png
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lng2uaQ8Io1qedlkp.jpg
http://dreamdogsart.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c192953ef00e555031fcc8834-300wi
No comments:
Post a Comment