Las Meninas

As mentioned in Lesson I, Diego Velazquez painted “Las Meninas” in
1656. Picasso held Velazquez and his body of art in high regard. Picasso would produce over 50 variations of Velazquez’s original work. Each derivative work would show very different styles of art such as the influences of cubism and abstract art. However, in each rendition the characters would remain static. The intent behind Picasso’s endeavors was more of a tribute to Velazquez than an attempt to belittle his work. Velazquez had defined a world in Las Meninas and Picasso was attempting to explore that world through the varied uses of “form, rhythm, colour and movement” (“Las Meninas”). These efforts would allow Picasso to become more introspective about his artistic processes.

“Las Meninas, 1957.” Museu Picasso de Barcelona. N.d. Web 18 Feb. 2010 “http://www.museupicasso.bcn.es/eng/collection/cont_collec.htm#p12