Diego Velazquez's Painting, Las Meninas

Diego Velazquez painted a piece of work that was admired by art lovers all over the world (Brown & Velázquez, 2008). His painting “Las Meninas”, translated to simply mean maids of honor is a painting that gives the viewers a glimpse into the lives of the royal family. Velazquez had worked closely with the royal family at the court of Philip IV. This was the center of power during the time of the artist worked on his painting (Stratton-Pruitt, 2003). The painting was hailed by many as a masterpiece that was able to explore the power relations in the modern Europe.
Velazquez lived during the Baroque period which lasted from 1600 to around 1750. The term Baroque was used to describe the works of art that had dramatic theatrics and detailed ornamentation
I find myself wondering how the artist was able to execute this work but the beauty of the picture engrosses me deeply that it is hard to criticize any aspect of art in the painting. The beautiful scene of a rich European hall and the elegant characters makes the painting a real breathtaking view to uphold (Stratton-Pruitt, 2003). I remain mystified by the painting even with my previous exposure to other great artworks. This is a masterpiece because it stuck in my brain even after I stopped looking at
Her face is turned away from the source of light and is in shadow. This shows the viewer that she is not the point of interest (Brown & Velázquez, 2008). The princess stands in a position where light falls on her completely. Her face is turned towards the source of light even though she gazes away from the light. The light that falls on the maids of honor only serves to emphasize that the princess is the focal point in the painting. The use of mirror and reflection has helped in the creation of more space and addition of other characters into the