La familia de
Felipe IV
Diego
Velázquez. 1656
Oil on canvas.
310x276 cm.
Museo del
Prado. Madrid
Las Meninas or The maids of honor, also
known by its original name “The family of Philip IV”, is a 1656 painting by
Diego Velázquez, the leading painter in the court of Philip IV and the most
representative artist of the Spanish Baroque. His work in the court was to
paint portraits of the king and the Royal Family members. Few of them had
attractive faces so the task was not very pleasant for a painter but Velázquez turned
these portraits into fascinating paintings by his creative skill.
This
artwork is recognized as his magnum opus. We can say that Velázquez was able to
capture a moment long before the invention of photography. The painting shows a
large room in the Madrid Royal Palace and in the foreground present several
people from the court, one of them is the young Infanta Margaret Theresa surrounded
by her entourage. Some look out the canvas toward the viewer while others
interact among themselves. The figure that holds the palette and brushes is Velázquez.
He paints himself working on a large canvas the portrait of the King and Queen.
In the background of the scene we see the models reflected in the mirror
remarked with a frame. They appear to be placed outside the picture space, in a
similar position to the viewer. Somehow we, the observers, become the King and
Queen and we are being portrayed by Velázquez.
Therefore
the conclusion is that the complex and enigmatic composition arouses de
curiosity of the observer by the play between reality and illusion. Velázquez
creates a relationship between the viewer and the figures depicted.
VOCABULARY
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Word in english
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Word in spanish
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Artist
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Artista
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Artwork
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Obra de arte
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Background
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Fondo
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Baroque
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Barroco
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Brush
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Pincel
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Canvas
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Lienzo
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Composition
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Composición
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To depict
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Representar
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Figure
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Figura
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Foreground
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Primer plano
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Frame
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Marco
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Magnum opus
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Obra maestra
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Model
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Modelo
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Oil
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Oleo
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Painter
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Pintor
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Painting
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Cuadro
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Palette
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Paleta
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Portrait
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Retrato
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Scene
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Escena
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Viewer
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Observador
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