Diego Velázquez

I first came across Diego Velázquez in my Spanish IV class where we studied many different Spanish artists. I took an immediate attraction to his works because of their realism and regalness. Diego Velázquez lived in the 16th century when Baroque was a style of art that dominated Europe. Strong contrasts of light and dark and realistic portrayals characterize the Baroque style. Velázquez was a premier Baroque artist. His technique with brushstrokes is quite unique. Close up, the brushstrokes resemble a jumble of crisscrosses, but far away, they present a clean, sharp image. King Philipe IV appointed Velázquez as the court painter; therefore, most of Velázquez’s paintings were royal portraits.

Las Meñinas (The Maids of Honor) is one of Velázquez’s most famous paintings. This painting is also my favorite artwork. Las Meñinas is an intriguing painting because it contains two paintings in one. In one interpretation, the subject is the Infanta Margarita, the daughter of King Philipe IV, and her ladies in waiting. The second interpretation is that the subject is really Velázquez. He painted himself on the left side behind a large easel. He appears to be painting a portrait of the King and Queen (as indicated by their image reflected in a mirror behind the easel). Therefore, the King and Queen are standing in the same position as the viewers of this masterpiece. The duel interpretations of Las Meñinas fascinate me because this is strikingly different than any other painting at this time. Therefore, Velázquez’s creativeness and realism make him my favorite artist.