Las Meninas
Form
- Not as dramatic, but there still are extreme darks and lights
- Portrait of a portrait
- New technique called Impasto: visible application of paint with thick brush strokes; very gestural and painterly
- Lots of symbolism
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Function
- Private use
- Evidence that King Philip asked for a portrait of his daughter so he could see her every day but is isn’t confirmed that she is the princess
- Sense of formality
- Promotion for Velazquez to show his abilities to the court which gave him lots of artistic power
- He was a critical aspect for the king
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- Little girl has several attendants
- Little people were bought and sold and were “fashionable to have”
- Velazquez is painting the King and Queen
- Portrait of a portrait
- They’re in a very large room
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Context
- Spain’s power and status was on a decline
- Allied with the Catholic church to try and gain power
- Strong light and diagonals
- Little girl is the lightest in the room because she’s so important
- Dog being in the forefront gives a sense of loyalty
- Person in the background is Velazquez because he is walking towards the Queen’s wuarters and is holding the tapestry
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Learning Objective
17th c. Southern Baroque (Spanish) painting
Themes
Status
Family
Portrait
Rulers
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