Look at Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez

Look at this golden princess. Who is she? She is Infanta Margarita Teresa, daughter of  King Philip IV of Spain and his second wife Mariana of Austria. She is paying a visit to Diego Velasquez, painter at the court, who
is presumably working at her parents portrait. See the royal couple far back, reflected in the mirror? But they are not the subject of this painting, are they? No. Velazquez chose to pay homage to the royal family immortalizing the image of this perplexed 5 year old girl.

Look at her crisp dress, gently touched by the light, look at the care her maids of honor are showing, look at the funny looking midget poking the dog. It`s a joyful painting, full of light and giggles. The princess herself is delighted by the whole scene, by the warm sun, trying to keep it together like all princesses ought to.

Her perplex gaze made quite an impression on Pablo Picasso, who sketched it in no less than 58 painting in 1957.

Diego Velazquez was a prominent painter of the Spanish Golden Age of the 15-17 centuries. He was a favorite at the royal court in a period when painters where seen merely as petty craftsmen. His art is known for the genius use of light and space and included in the baroque period.
 
Throw inGossamer
1. a film of cobwebs floating in air in calm clear weather
2. something light, delicate, or insubstantial


Look at some other portraits of Infanta Margarita by Velasquez

Also look at some of Las Meninas painted by Picasso