Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez

Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez (1656) & Pablo Picasso (1957)

People often tend to refer that Las Meninas of Velázquez are more understandable that any of its modern versions, however this masterpiece is one of the most analyzed and criticized paintings. Is also consider as one of the most important paintings in Western art history just beside of La Giaconda by Da Vinci.

Diego Velázquez has influenced several painters such as Goya, Manet, Francis Bacon, Picasso, Hamilton, Twombly; especially to the French movement of Modernists after the opening of the Prado Museum in 1819. Before this date only the painters of the king had the possibility to admire and analyze such masterpieces. Velázquez painted Las Meninas during the Spanish Golden Age in the Royal Alcazar room of Madrid during the reign of King Philip IV of Spain. The Boroque style can certainly be observed with a chiaroscuro touch as for directing the focal points. Many complex analyses from the painting can be done. It certainly highlights the Spanish power of the XXVII century and even the situation of philosophers and artist in general in those times, Velázquez had to invert the position of the painting as he was a left handed painter inner the painting, and for the only fact of being left handed he could have been killed. Another interesting fact of Las Meninas is the perception of reality where Infanta Margaret Theresa is placed beside some particularly “less physically graceful” selected girls in order to make her look more beautiful. In those times “improving” eternally through paintings the physical appearance of the royalty was very common.

Pablo Picasso had always admired and reproduced Velazquez’s work. In 1957 Picasso decided to officially make a tribute to Velazquez’s masterpiece “Las Meninas” as per the 300th anniversary of this artwork through synthetic cubist style with in monochrom and very dramatic approach that represented the situation of Europe during the 50’s with the confrontation between Russia and the United States as well as the construction of the Berlin wall. Picasso always considered himself as a revolutionary fighter through art.