Wm.. J Strauss

Meaning and Madness

Prof. Trimble

Las Meninas

In order to understand “Las Meninas” we must first identify the characters portrayed. In the center of the painting is “La Infanta”, the daughter of the King and Queen. She is attended by “Las Meninas”, her ladies in waiting. On the far right are the two dwarves meant to entertain her. The man on the left is Diego Velasquez, the painter of this painting. Behind the dwarves is a nun and man looking hopeful. In the very background is an unidentified man. To his left is a mirror with the images of the King and Queen. The appearance of each character seems vital to understanding the painting.

  La Infanta is in the center of the light from the window to the right. Her clothes are white and her hair is blond, perhaps symobolising innocence. She is looking away from the painter; it is obvious that she does not want to be painted, likely because she has been painted many times before. Her dress is suggestive of a wearing a corset and is very elaborate. She looks like a miniature adult. Her parents stand next to the viewer, as their image is cast in the mirror at the back of the room.

Las Meninas are more in the shadows -- they flank La Infanta and ,interestingly enough, form semicircle with their heads and Velasquez's. What this means is anybody's guess, but it would seem obvious that Velasquez liked geometric arrangements, since everything but the people and the light fixtures are elementary polygons.

The dwarves seem uninterested in becoming involved with the persuasion of La Infanta to be painted. Behind them ,in the shadows, is the nun and the hopeful looking man. The possibilities for interpretation here are endless, because we do no know what place these two people hold in the court.  The man's hands are clasped, perhaps a symbol of piety. The shadows are a sharp contrast with his hopeful demeanor. 

The man in the doorway could possibly be a man known as “Sargatanas”, who had the power to open all locks. The purpose of his presence is a mystery, as is much of the painting, but he could symbolise the high visibility of the royal family. A website I used to research this painting identifies the man as Jose Nieto; how they came to this conclusion was not immediately apparent to me. While his significance is not immediately clear to me Picasso sheds some light and said “The door Jose Nieto holds open suggests the entrance of fascist soldiers into the studio of Velazquez with a warrant for his arrest.”

Velasquez also included himself in the painting. His pose appears conducive of a self-portrait. He stands before a very large canvas that could easily be intended for a very important painting. (Perhaps the dimensions of this canvas is what dissuades La Infanta from wanting to be painted. ) Velasquez paints himself in his occupation -- this seems very appropriate for a self-portrait. He is also only partially illuminated. 

The room of “Las Meninas” also has a few symbolic features. The light fixtures are empty and ,thus, much of the room is cast in shadow. The only two sources of light are the window that is off the canvas to the right and the open door that Jose Nieto holds open. The tone of this painting is of contrast and mystery. The paintings on the wall are too dark to discern any features. Could this room be Velasquez's private gallery? What does the nun and hopeful-looking man symbolise? Why are there no lights in the fixtures? In fact, very few things are more certain than the oil on the canvas. The image of the King and Queen in the mirror suggests that they are standing to the left of the viewer. Is some unseen figure the intended audience of this work?  There are many things happening in this painting and each of the characters has a certain place in the light, giving the painting its contrast. The unanswered questions give this work an eerie quality and the darkness of the figures on the walls conduct a certain mysterious quality.

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