Art provides the viewer, reader, or listener with a much deeper perspective than the eye meets. Images and scenes convey invisible motives that may be hidden under the original emotions. Diego Velazquez’s Las Meninas does not deviate from the tendency of mystery in the paintings, but rethinks it and reveals itself only upon detailed study. Margaret Theresa of Spain, the king and queen, and the servant are shown in the center of the canvas, while the Infanta is preparing for some significant event. The painting’s true meaning lies in the details, namely the looks, the interior, the geometry, and the color scheme. Numerous researchers and amateurs have studied Las Meninas from various perspectives, and each of them explains a specific project conceived by Velazquez. Creative analysts disagree in defining the plot and idea since the author transformed the concept of emotions, beliefs, and the picture’s semantic load for that time.
Siglo de Oro by Steele
Each artist has a specific perspective in mind when creating a particular project. Paintings are a unique art form in terms of meaning and variability of viewer involvement. Velazquez is known for portraits that carry a complex compositional structure. Steele described Las Meninas as a unique combination of the author’s genius and the mystery provided in the characters’ faces (144). The author of the book forms the analysis of pathos as an emotional component of painting. In particular, Velasquez uses the characters’ eyes in the picture as a tool to engage the viewer. Pathos is meant as the mood that the royal family and servants convey to the audience through the canvas. Observers are rated as essential guests of this artwork, as they are reflected in the mirror like kings and queens (Steele 144). In other words, the emotional component of the design determines the involvement and quivering feeling of inspecting court life’s routine.
Steele’s analyzes Las Meninas is rooted in the exploration of characters and the social standing they used to have at the time when the painting was produced. It is no secret that Velazquez is a legendary artist and painted multiple portraits of the Spanish royalty due to his recognition. Las Meninas, however, is unique that there are multiple representatives of the nobility, and the painter places himself into the setting to play on the juxtaposition. Steele describes the painting as a test of different characters, including trying to include the artist into the scene as its important participator (144). The pathos of the painting is rooted in the use of the self-portrait, as the painter’s credibility is formed through connecting him to the audience who can look directly into the eyes of Velasquez. The artist’s gaze from the canvas makes viewers feel uncomfortable, as if they are looking at something they were not supposed to be seeing. It is ironic the harshest critical statement is conveyed through logos as a combination of pathos and ethos. The conflict between Velazquez’s reputation and the tense feeling from viewing the painting reveals logos as an opportunity to search for further analysis directions.
Centuries Later, People Still Don’t Know What to Make of Las Meninas by Lesser
Las Meninas has been studied by several generations of analysts and scientists, which confirms the resonance even in the modern world. The main research issue is the reality of the plot, namely the authenticity of the events on the canvas. One explanation shows that the painting study should be based on personality, position in court life, and Velazquez’s social status (Lesser). This analysis reproduces the combination of ethos and logos as the background to the exact meaning of Las Meninas. In particular, the Spanish artist has enjoyed a reputation among the royal family for a long time, which has helped to form an understanding of the realities and daily routine of the monarchs. Ethos is used in the first half of the article, where the author reviews Velazquez’s career path and personality. It is worth noting that emotional appeal, namely pathos, is not used in this article due to the straightforward and scientifically based narrative paradigm.
The main argument is the fictionality of the plot and the author’s desire to satisfy the king’s aesthetic need. In turn, it is achieved through the element of logos, namely the consistency of density in the analysis. Lesser provides a background to the story, then recounts Velazquez’s biography and a description of Las Meninas, and ends the article with a juxtaposition of scientific facts and visual perception. Besides, structured analysis allows one to link the investigation’s main elements, namely author, canvas, and meaning. Thus, this analysis skillfully combines ethos and logos to rationalize the correlation between the author’s characteristics and its plot.
Las Meninas: is This the Best Painting in History? by Evan Puschak
Pictures can provide a radically opposite meaning to what the viewer sees at first glance. Puschak claims that geometry is the key to solving Velazquez’s mystery in Las Meninas (Nerdwriter1). The author uses the logos, namely the narrative and the image’s logic, to analyze the picture. For example, the viewer’s gaze is focused on pairs and triplets of people located in the first perspective. Moreover, the lines of sight of the king, queen, and the man in the doorway show that Velazquez has designated the canvas on the left as the exact center of the exhibition. Logos is combined with pathos, as the logic of geometric shapes and lines is transformed into an emotional basis for research.
Ethos, namely the appeal to character, was not used enough by Puschak. This type of analysis does not need to study Velazquez’s personality since the picture and the straightforward plot on the canvas are sufficient elements for a qualitative investigation. The author recalls the artist’s status in court life and reputation among the royal family only a few times. However, it is a supporting argument to the main narrative of ethos and logos. The most potent critical statement explains the mystery of Las Meninas in terms of geometry, which reveals a radically different meaning for the viewer and the corresponding emotional response.
Conclusion
Las Meninas depicts the royal daily routine with the Infanta Margaret Theresa at the center. However, the picture carries a deeper meaning than it seems at first glance. The three sources studied provide radically diverse perspectives for analysis based on ethos, logos, and pathos. The takeaway after receiving the information is that Velazquez has masterfully combined personal status in the royal family, the geometry of looks and elements, and the tools for engaging the viewer. Las Meninas is the artist’s imagination, as this plot did not exist in reality. It is a combination of many of the scenarios that the Spaniard observed while working at the royal palace. Thus, the analysis of three sources provided several perspectives for assessing the picture, and it is not the limit, which demonstrates the eternity of works of art and their secrets.
Works Cited
Lesser, Casey. “Diego Velázquez’s “Las Meninas”.” Artsy. 2018.
Nerdwriter1. “Las Meninas: Is This the Best Painting in History?” YouTube, 2016.
Steele, Timothy. All the Fun’s in How You Say a Thing: An Explanation of Meter and Versification. Ohio University Press, 1999.