Las Meninas By Brad, Brett, Clay, Emily, Stephanie

Velazquez, Las Meninas, 1656

Appropriations by Picasso

Picasso, Las Meninas, 1957

History of Velazquez ( ) 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 ( ) 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.