Diego Velazquez's, Las Meninas

Art History Analysis of Art Works

After Flipping through paintings I chose to write my paper about Diego Valasquez's, Las Meninas. This painting was made in 1656. It is oil on canvas. I was drawn to it at first glance. It immediately caught my eye. As I continued to observe the painting it gave off a mysterious vibe. Was this what the artist wanted me to feel while viewing his work?

In what seems as the front of the painting stand five young girls accompanied by an elderly midget. In front of all the girls lying on the floor is a dog. Next to them is a huge canvas almost the size of the walls and a painter standing in front of it. You cannot see the painting but he looks straight at Vasquez. Behind the main subjects are to ladies. You can barely see them in the darkness. The painting leads you to the back of the room where there is a door. Through the door you can see a man walking up the stairs and peering in.

The first subject that caught my eye was the youngest of the girls. She stands I the middle of the painting. The two older girls hover over her. They seem to be helping her dress up for a special occasion. This composition of the older girls leaning toward her leads the eye to her at first glance. Now, because there is a painter standing behind them I think this is a special occasion. He was most likely assigned to capture the moment.

The lighting in this picture is another strong affect. The contrast, or chiaroscuro is key. The whole back round is shaded dark. The paintings on the back walls are therefore barely visible. The only light you see in the back round is the light peering in through the door. The youngest to the girls stands out greatly due to the lighting. She is the brightest of the figures. As you look at the rest you can note that he starts to shade everyone else around. The shading gets heavier and darker as you lead the eyes to the back.

Colors in this painting also play an important part. At least I believe so. Everyone in the painting wears similar colors. Ranging from blacks, grays, tans, and reds these colors unify then. But the color also helps them stand out. The young girl wears the brightest color tan. The rest starting with the girls is deep reds and grays. The painter and everyone else are showing in black. For example, like order of importance with colors.

Two techniques seen here