Las Meninas
By Brad, Brett, Clay, Emily,
Stephanie
Velazquez, Las Meninas, 1656
Appropriations by Picasso
Picasso, Las Meninas, 1957
History of Velazquez (1599-1660)
• First master was the Sevillian painter Francisco
Herrera the Elder (c. 1576–1656)
• He was in his 20s when he painted the Water
Carrier of Seville (c. 1619)
• He uses a lighting style similar to that of
Caravaggio
• His early subjects were mostly religious in nature
• He was appointed court painter after his portrait
of Philip IV
• He learned from the works of Titian which were
in the royal collection
History of Velazquez (cont.)
• He studied in Venice where he became
interested in Michaelangelo’s Last Judgment.
• At the beginning of 1649 Velazquez left Spain on
a second visit to Italy to buy artwork for the royal
collection
• In 1656, Las Meninas was completed, often
regarded as Velazquez’s best work.
• In the spring of 1660 Velazquez’s last activity
was to accompany the king and court to the
French border
History of Picasso (1881-1973)
• Around the age of 10, Picasso began to invest
himself in drawing and artwork.
• Pablo entered the local art academy in
Barcelona in 1895
• In 1897, recognizing his talent, he was moved to
Madrid’s Royal Academy of San Fernando
• He became bored with their teachings, however,
and opted for his own style of learning by
moving to the countryside in 1898
History of Picasso
• In 1901 to 1904, Picasso entered his Blue Period of
artworks.
• In 1904, Picasso moved to Paris to experience the
thriving city’s art culture.
• In 1909, Picasso focused his efforts to break free of
conventions with the introduction of Cubism.
• During the surrealist movement of the 1920s, he became
influenced by its techniques and incorporated some
elements into his own works.
• After World War II, many people thought that Picasso
was beyond criticism; this later became known as the
Picasso Myth.
Depth of Artwork
• A similar theme displayed by both artists is the
complexity of understanding who the viewer
actually is.
• Both pieces make use of almost postmodern
characteristics such as being aware of the
audience.
• The artworks also challenge the viewer to make
their own interpretation of the subjects of the
artwork, a staunch opposite to the linear
narratives in works of the artist’s time period.