Las Meninas (The Ladies in Waiting or The Maids of Honor) is a 1656 oil painting by Spanish court painter Diego Velázquez.
It is believed to depict a moment in the court of Philip IV. His daughter, Infanta Margaret Theresa, stands in the middle of the painting looking out at the viewer while surrounded by various members of the court: two of her ladies-in-waiting, two dwarves, other members of the household, and Velázquez himself, poised at an easel. In the back, one can see reflections of the king and queen through a small mirror.
From an art history perspective, this painting is notable for being one of the first to challenge the viewer's relationship with artwork, especially due to the lack of comment on it from the artist or his patrons. There is a definite foreground, middle ground, and background. The artist is also a character, in the middle of his artistic process. The subjects of the painting are looking in the direction of the audience, likely at the royal couple. The king and queen are both onlookers, like the audience, and characters in the painting. Perhaps we are the king and queen? Or are we different, yet unseen characters in the scene?
...As such, it is a very well-studied and well-debated work of art.
The painting is very large, standing at about 10 foot by 9 foot. Though initially intended for the royals' private viewing, it now currently hangs in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. It's also rather influential — Pablo Picasso painted nearly sixty takes on this work, for one.
Tropes in this painting:
- Ambiguous Situation: The way the subjects in the painting are positioned and perspective is utilized lend themselves to multiple situations, neither of which are a perfect fit for what is depicted.
- One interpretation is that Velázquez is painting a portrait of the Infanta through a mirror, as is occasionally done for portraiture, the mirror is located where the fourth wall is, and the king and queen have dropped by the studio.
- Another is that Velázquez is painting a portrait of the king and queen, who are standing near or at where the viewers would be, and their daughter is hanging out (maybe she's keeping them company, or the ladies are trying to get her to pose for the portrait).
- Captain Morgan Pose: The chamberlain at the very back has one foot on the next step on the staircase, giving the impression that he's ascending or descending a staircase.
- Character Title: Meninas is the Portuguese word for young girls. The Main Character is a pubescent Princess Protagonist, who is accompanied by some of his maids.
- Chiaroscuro: There's a contrast between the well-lit foreground and the dark back. At the very end, José Nieto, the chamberlain, seemingly lets in more light.
- Creator Cameo: Velázquez painted himself into the painting; he's the leftmost figure at the easel. This gives the impression that he was about to paint a royal portrait, but then painted himself painting it instead. Notably, he is bearing the honor of the Santiago Cross, which he did not yet have at the time this was made; it may have been added in at a later date.
- Death by Childbirth: Implied. Much like Real Life counterpart, the Princess Margaret Theresa of Spain of the painting is Delicate and Sickly. In the painting, this is foreshadowing that she will die while delivering her child.
- Every Proper Lady Should Curtsy: The lady-in-waiting on the right of the princess is in the middle of a curtsy. It is ambiguous if she is curtsying to the princess or to the king and queen, and why.
- Job Title: The painting's English translation is The Ladies-In-Waiting, which refers to the maids that attend the Princess Protagonist.
- Lady-In-Waiting: The Infanta is flanked by two of her ladies-in-waiting, who have been identified as Doña Isabel de Velasco and Doña María Agustina Sarmiento de Sotomayor.
- Pimped-Out Dress: The princess is in a lovely gown, black and white and embroidered with florals, befitting her station. Both ladies-in-waiting are also in voluminous silver gowns.
- Princess Protagonist: In this busy and spatially ambiguous painting, it is the Infanta who has pride of place. The lighting and her white dress make her the most prominent character in the scene.
- Shout-Out:
- The mirror in the background telling more to the story is considered by art historians to be due to the influence of The Arnolfini Portrait.
- The darkened paintings hanging on the back wall are versions of sketches by Peter Paul Rubens.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: One of the male dwarves is dressed in women's clothing to amuse the princess.
