Western Art Movements I Art Movements    

Lesson 16: Baroque - The Ladies-in-Waiting (Las Meninas) (1656)

by Diego Velázquez

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the artwork's movement.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

The last example of Baroque art is 'The Ladies-in-Waiting (Las Meninas),' painted by Diego Velázquez in 1656. What at first appears to be a simple painting of a young girl and her attendants transforms into a complex piece upon closer examination. Set in Velázquez's art studio in the Madrid palace of Spanish King Philip IV, the central figure is King Philip's five-year-old blonde daughter in white, the Infanta Margarita. Two richly dressed ladies-in-waiting attend to the princess, one kneeling and offering the princess a drink and the other curtsying. Two dwarfs stand to the far right, the young boy prodding a dog with his shoe. In the back right stand the princess's chaperone speaking with a bodyguard. Outside the room, the queen's chamberlain pauses on a set of stairs and peers into the room. Velázquez has also painted himself, paintbrush and palette in hand. A mirror set on the wall shows a reflection of the King and Queen standing behind the viewer, perhaps the subjects being painted by Velázquez. Study each character and try to figure out who or what each character is observing. For example, do you think the princess is watching you, the viewer, or her parents as they are being painted?

Vocabulary

Art Studio: An artist’s or photographer’s workshop or the room in which an artist works.
Lady-in-waiting: A woman who is a servant to a lady. Similar to a valet for a gentleman.
Chaperone: An older person who accompanies other younger people to ensure the propriety of their behavior, often an older woman accompanying a young woman.
Chamberlain: An officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or ruler of a country.
Palette: A thin board on which a painter lays and mixes colors.

Concepts

Featured Movement:

1. Name - Baroque
2. Timeline - 17th century to the 18th century

Baroque Movement Characteristics:

1. Use of Movement, Emotion, and Vibrancy ('The Fall of Phaeton' by Peter Paul Rubens between 1604-1605)

2. Asymmetry ('The Stolen Kiss' by Jean-Honoré Fragonard painted in the late Baroque/Rococo in 1786)

3. Overlapping Subjects and Objects ('The Surrender of Breda' by Diego Velázquez between 1634-1635)

Baroque Movement Subjects:

1. Biblical Subjects Still Common ('The Elevation of the Cross' by Peter Paul Rubens between 1610-1611)

2. Mythology Still Prevalent ('Bacchus' by Caravaggio between 1595-1597)

3. Realism ('Ladies in Waiting' by Diego Velázquez in 1656)

Baroque Architecture:

1. Highly detailed and ornate works of grandeur (Melk Abbey in Melk, Austria built between 1702-1736)

2. Illusion (Trompe-l'oeil ceiling in Jesuit Church in Vienna created by Andrea Pozzo in 1703)

3. Flowing Lines (San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome, Italy consecrated in 1646)

4. Light and Shade (The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France built starting in 1682)

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Princess
• King
• Queen
• Velázquez
• Ladies-in-waiting
• Chaperone
• Guard
• Chamberlain
• Paintbrush
• Palette
• Someone Prodding a Dog
• Someone Curtsying
• Someone Offering a Drink

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Study the Artwork's Location

• 'The Ladies-in-Waiting' is set in the Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain.
• Study the picture of the Royal Palace of Madrid.

• Zoom in on the map of Europe to find Madrid, the capital city of Spain.

Activity 4: Classify the Artwork

• This artwork belongs to the Baroque art movement.
• Find the Baroque art movement on the timeline.
• During which (estimated) years did the Baroque art movement flourish?
• Which art movement preceded the Baroque art movement?
• Which art movement followed the Baroque art movement?

Activity 5: Recreate the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 19 of 'Fourth Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 5

Answer 1

The characters are the princess, the king, the queen, the ladies-in-waiting, additional attendants, and Velázquez.

1 / 5

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 5

Answer 2

The setting is Velázquez's studio in the Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain.

2 / 5

Question 3

To which western art movement does this painting belong?

3 / 5

Answer 3

This painting belongs to the Baroque art movement.

3 / 5

Question 4

How is this painting reflective of the Baroque art movement?

4 / 5

Answer 4

The Baroque art movement featured extravagance and contrasts of shadow and light. This painting captures the luxuries of royalty including a large palace room and elaborate clothing. The painting also leverages light and dark to highlight and/or shadow the painting's subjects.

4 / 5

Question 5

During which century was this artwork created?

5 / 5

Answer 5

Velázquez painted this artwork in the 17th century.

5 / 5

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The characters are the princess, the king, the queen, the ladies-in-waiting, additional attendants, and Velázquez.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is Velázquez's studio in the Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain.
3. To which western art movement does this painting belong? This painting belongs to the Baroque art movement.
4. How is this painting reflective of the Baroque art movement? The Baroque art movement featured extravagance and contrasts of shadow and light. This painting captures the luxuries of royalty including a large palace room and elaborate clothing. The painting also leverages light and dark to highlight and/or shadow the painting's subjects.
5. During which century was this artwork created? Velázquez painted this artwork in the 17th century.

References

'Las Meninas.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Baroque Art.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Baroque Architecture.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane - Front by Architas (CC BY-SA 4.0).' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:San_Carlo_alle_Quattro_Fontane_-_Front.jpg. n.p.