Hello, artenauta! Continuing our journey through the study of famous works of art, today we are going to talk to you about one of the most famous paintings of Spanish painting; Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez. Specifically, we are going to tell you who each of the characters in the painting is.
Some interesting facts about Las Meninas
- It is considered Diego Velázquez’s most famous masterpiece.
- It is an oil painting on a large canvas (320.5 X 281.5 cm). At that time there were no such large fabrics, which is why, at present, the seams of the union of the different fabrics used are visible.
- It was painted in 1656 in the Prince’s Room, located in the Alcazar of Madrid.
- It represents a scene from the daily, intimate and domestic life of the royal family.
- Among the highlights of this work we find the impressive play of light and shadow, the excellent execution of the technique and the distribution of characters in different planes made by the artist.
- This great work is on display at the Prado Museum (Madrid).
Which characters appear in the painting of Las Meninas
- The Infanta Margarita, daughter of King Philip IV and Mariana of Austria.
- María Agustina Sarmiento de Sotomayor, one of the Infanta’s meninas.
- Isabel de Velasco, another of the Infanta’s meninas.
- Mari Bárbola (María Bárbara Asquín), who was part of the Infanta’s entourage.
- Nicolasito Pertusato. He became the king’s valet.
- Diego Velázquez. Self-portrait of the author of the work.
- Marcela de Ulloa, who held the position of minor guardian of ladies. She cared for and watched over the maidens who surrounded the Infanta.
- Theamas keeper. It is very possibly Diego Ruiz de Azcona.
- Philip IV and his wife, Mariana of Austria, represented through her reflection in the mirror.
- José Nieto Velázquez, aposentador of the queen.
Location of the characters
Now, if we take a closer look, we can distinguish three different planes when representing the different characters.
- The Infanta is placed in the foreground, being the central character of the painting. Next to her are the meninas and other servants.
- In the background we find the painter himself, Diego Velázquez, and the guardadamas.
- In the third plane would be the kings, reflected in the mirror, and the queen’s chamberlain. Although it may seem that being the farthest shot gives less importance to the characters that appear in it, it is precisely their location that gives the work a sense of depth.
Did you find this entry interesting? We hope it does and that it inspires you to continue looking for information about this and other works. Our goal is to inspire you to delve into the exciting world of art.
To learn everything you need to know about painting techniques and materials, as well as when to use each one of them, becoming a real artist, we invite you to visit our Online Painting Course.
