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Velázquez
Velázquez
Natalia Rivera
Measuring “ten and a half feet by nine feet wide” (96), the painting’s near life-
sized figures, along with its “spatial construction,” creates a sense of overwhelming
realism, emphasizing complexities, such as literary-like symbolism, that confuse the
viewer. Despite the ambiguities of Las Meninas, Brown indicates that all figures in the
painting, with the exception of one individual, have been identified (88). The ornately
dressed girl who is apparently in the “center” of the painting is La Infanta María
Margarita. Two meninas, or maids or honor, are attending the princess. The one on the
left, María Agustina Sarmiento, is kneeling down next to the princess, offering her what
appears to be a cup of water. The second one to the right of the princess is Isabel de
Velasco. On the far right, the viewer can see two dwarfs, identified as Mari Barbola
and her son Nicolás Pertusato, respectively. In the middle ground, behind Isabel de
Velasco and the dwarfs, stands Marcela de Ullo, the chaperone, next to an unidentified
bodyguard. Behind the figures in the foreground, there is a man in the open door,
identified as José de Nieto, the “aposentador of the Queen’s household” (88). The man
standing in front of the canvas, wearing courtly attire and holding a brush and a palette,
is Velázquez himself. Finally, the mirror located on the back wall, in between
Velázquez and La Infanta, reflects the figures of the monarchs Philip IV and Mariana of
Austria.
Significant objects and details worth noting include the aforementioned canvas on the
left-hand corner, the various paintings hung in the background and on the side walls, the
shadowing and dimness within the room, and the elegant attire of the figures. Along
with the specific aspects of the work, basic information pertaining to the work is widely
known, including the painter, the year the work was painted, and its purpose. As the
King’s preferred artist in the Spanish court, Velázquez was commissioned to paint
works representing the Royal Family with veneration and decorum. Velázquez’s
presence within the painting is an indication of his privileged position as a courtier.
Although the painting includes Velázquez’s self portrait, he is not the central
figure of the work. Initially, the viewer may consider the work a portrait of La Infanta,
since she is physically in the center of the foreground, surrounded by the entire Royal
Household. However, the majority of the figures are not directing their attention at the
princess; rather, most of the individuals, including La Infanta herself, are looking
outward. To whom or what the figures are directing their attention presents the first
ambiguity of the painting: Whether the physical manifestation of the Monarchs is a
“poetic” or “real” presence.
Brown, Foucault, and Schmitter concur that the characters within the painting
are looking at the actual or representation of the Monarchs, who are placed in some sort
of external space. The presence of the Monarchs is confirmed by the figures of
Velázquez and José de Nieto as members of the court. Also, the mirror’s reflection of
the Monarchs is another indication of their real or metaphorical presence. Brown
mentions the curtain reflected on the top of the mirror. He suggests that the Monarchs
are about to “enter” the depicted space to see Velázquez at work (91). The red curtain
has just risen, revealing the presence of the Monarchs, thus provoking the apparent shift
of attention. Some figures have just noticed the entrance of the Monarchs but have not
yet reacted. Brown claims that Isabel is beginning to curtsey, respectfully greeting the
King and Queen.
Bibliography
Brown, Jonathan. "On the Meaning of Las Meninas." Images and Ideas in Seventeenth-
Century Spanish Painting. Princeton Essay on the Arts. 87-110.
Foucault, Michel. “Las Meninas.” The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human
Sciences. New York: Vintage Books. 3-16
Schmitter, Amy M. "Picturing Power: Representation and Las Meninas." The Journal
of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 54.3 (Summer, 2006): 255-268.