A Visit to the Prado
Museum Madrid
Las Meninas, Diego Velázquez
Las Meninas
is a hugely significant painting for many reasons, not least because of its
groundbreaking viewpoint and subject matter. The painting is a portrait of the
Royal family, but affords the viewer only a cursory glimpse of King Philip IV
and his Queen, and a reflected image at that, in the mirror at the back of the
painting. Their daughter, Infanta Margaret Theresa is
speculated to be the main subject.
Certainly she is the central figure and the light in the painting draws
attention to her. However, what is most
surprising perhaps is that the painter includes himself in the painting,
seemingly drawing attention to his status and acceptance within the Royal Court
as Royal painter. What is most
intriguing about the picture though is that it is deliberately constructed in
an attempt to create a “snapshot” in time and so has been hailed by many
critics as being the precursor to the invention of photography. Velázquez has worked very deliberately to construct the effect
of naturalism, as do so many photographers today, in order to challenge the
viewer and fly in the face of conventionalism.
This has served its purpose well, as the painting is one of the most
famous and most talked about paintings of all time.
Jeff Ascough
The composition of
this shot by Jeff Ascough is reminiscent of the painting above, although in
this photograph the reflected image is undoubtedly the main subject.
Gregory Crewdson
An example of
constructed reality by Gregory Crewdson.
