Las Meninas Maids of Honor
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Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor)
Western European painting became increasingly diverse with the 17th century, a period known as the Baroque. Even though the general shift way from the obvious stylization of Mannerism to a more naturalistic approach, artists' ways of painting did not grow more similar. On the contrary, painters worked in an unprecedented variety of individual styles and collectors increasingly cared about distinguishing individual hands. The repertoire of subjects also expanded greatly, for in addition to traditional types of figural subjects, such less esteemed genres as landscapes, still lives, and scenes of everyday life became common.
"Las Meninas", one of the examples, was painted in 1656- the Baroque period-by Diego Velasquez. Velasquez was often considered the father of Spanish painting. He challenged the viewer with its enigmatic subject matter. The viewer faced a riddle embodied by both the subject matter of the painting itself and by the artist's canvas which was forever hidden from the viewer. The painting raised multiple questions about the nature of representation, seeing, power, and metaphysics.
"Las Meninas" was a composition of enormous representational impact...