Baroque
Las Meninas
A painting about seeing itself, where painter, subject, and viewer trade places.
A room full of eyes
We enter a royal studio mid-moment. The infanta stands at the center, attended by her ladies-in-waiting, while the painter looks out from the canvas.
Everyone seems to glance in different directions. The painting feels alive because no one is fully still.
The mirror and the viewer
At the back, a mirror reflects the king and queen. If they are in the mirror, then we, the viewers, occupy their position.
Velázquez turns the viewer into the subject, which makes the act of looking suddenly personal.
Power and presence
This is a court portrait, but it is also a statement of artistic status. Velázquez paints himself at work, insisting that the painter belongs in the world of power.
The spacious room and soft light give the scene gravity, as if the air itself is a symbol of authority.
A painting about painting
Las Meninas is not just an image of people; it is an image of painting as a craft and an illusion.
Its influence stretches from later court portraits to modern art that questions the boundaries between observer and observed.
Looking closer
The open door at the back is a small but powerful detail. It suggests another world beyond the room and gives the composition depth.
Notice how the light hits the infanta's dress. She is the brightest point, yet not necessarily the true subject.
Velázquez turns the studio into a mirror, and the viewer becomes part of the court.