Las Meninas (Picasso) Explained

Las Meninas
Artist:Pablo Picasso
Year:1957
Type:Oil on canvas
Museum:Museu Picasso

Las Meninas is a series of 58 paintings that Pablo Picasso painted in 1957 by performing a comprehensive analysis, reinterpreting and recreating several times Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez. The suite is fully preserved at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona and is the only complete series of the artist that remains together. This is a very extensive survey work, which consists of 45 performances of the original picture, 9 scenes of a dove,[1] 3 landscapes and a portrait of Jacqueline.

Picasso himself understood this series as a whole, and as such gave them to the museum in Barcelona in May 1968, in memory of Jaume Sabartés, who died the same year. Picasso's famous phrase said to Sabartés in 1950:

The suite

Registry[2] TitleDateFormatsize (cm)Zervos XVII
1MPB 70.433Las Meninas (conjunt)17/08/1957Oil on canvas194 x 260351
2MPB 70.434Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)20/08/1957Oil on canvas100 x 81353
3MPB 70.435Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)20/08/1957Oil on canvas46 x 37.5352
4MPB 70.436Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)21/08/1957Oil on canvas100 x 81356
5MPB 70.437Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)22/08/1957Oil on canvas33 x 24354
6MPB 70.438Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)26/08/1957Oil on canvas41 x 32,5357
7MPB 70.439Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)27/08/1957Oil on canvas40,5 x 33355
8MPB 70.440Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)27/08/1957Oil on canvas33 x 24361
9MPB 70.441Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)27/08/1957Oil on canvas33 x 24359
10MPB 70.442Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)28/08/1957Oil on canvas18 x 14358
11MPB 70.443Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)28/08/1957Oil on canvas18 x 14360
12MPB 70.444Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)04/09/1957Oil on canvas35 x 27365
13MPB 70.445Las Meninas (composició central)04/09/1957Oil on canvas35 x 27363
14MPB 70.446Las Meninas (conjunt)04/09/1957Oil on canvas46 x 37,5364
15MPB 70.447Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)05/09/1957Oil on canvas35 x 27366
16MPB 70.448Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)06/09/1957Oil on canvas41 x 32,5367
17MPB 70.449Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)06/09/1957Oil on canvas46 x 37,5362
18MPB 70.450Els colomins06/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 80394
19MPB 70.451Els colomins06/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 80395
20MPB 70.452Els colomins07/09/1957Oil on canvas33 x 24398
21MPB 70.453Els colomins07/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 80396
22MPB 70.454Els colomins07/09/1957Oil on canvas80 x 100No catalogat
23MPB 70.455Els colomins11/09/1957Oil on canvas129 x 97397
24MPB 70.456Els colomins14/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 80399
25MPB 70.457Els colomins12/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 80400
26MPB 70.458Els colomins12/09/1957Oil on canvas145 x 113401
27MPB 70.459Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)14/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 81368
28MPB 70.460Las Meninas (conjunt sense Velázquez)15/09/1957Oil on canvas129 x 161369
29MPB 70.461Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento i infanta Margarita María)17/09/1957Oil on canvas32,5 x 41371
30MPB 70.462Las Meninas (conjunt sense Velázquez)17/09/1957Oil on canvas129 x 161370
31MPB 70.463Las Meninas (conjunt)18/09/1957Oil on canvas129 x 161372
32MPB 70.464Las Meninas (conjunt)19/09/1957Oil on canvas161 x 129373
33MPB 70.465Las Meninas (conjunt)02/10/1957Oil on canvas161 x 129374
34MPB 70.466Las Meninas (conjunt)03/10/1957Oil on canvas129 x 161375
35MPB 70.467Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)09/10/1957Oil on canvas65 x 54377
36MPB 70.468Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)09/10/1957Oil on canvas65 x 54376
37MPB 70.469Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento i infanta Margarita María)10/10/1957Oil on canvas92 x 73379
38MPB 70.470Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)10/10/1957Oil on canvas73 x 55378
39MPB 70.471Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)10/10/1957Oil on canvas115 x 89380
40MPB 70.472El Piano17/10/1957Oil on canvas130 x 96404
41MPB 70.473Las Meninas (Nicolasito Pertusato)24/10/1957Oil on canvas61 x 50382
42MPB 70.474Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco, María Bárbola i Nicolasito Pertusato)24/10/1957Oil on canvas130 x 96383
43MPB 70.475Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco, María Bárbola i Nicolasito Pertusato)24/10/1957Oil on canvas130 x 96384
44MPB 70.476Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco, María Bárbola i Nicolasito Pertusato)24/10/1957Oil on canvas130 x 96381
45MPB 70.477Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco i María Bárbola)08/11/1957Oil on canvas130 x 96385
46MPB 70.478Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María i Isabel de Velasco)15/11/1957Oil on canvas130 x 96386
47MPB 70.479Las Meninas (conjunt sense Velázquez)15/11/1957Oil on canvas130 x 96387
48MPB 70.480Las Meninas (conjunt sense Velázquez ni María Bárbola)17/11/1957Oil on canvas35 x 27388
49MPB 70.481Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)17/11/1957Oil on canvas24 x 19389
50MPB 70.482Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)17/11/1957Oil on canvas24 x 19392
51MPB 70.483Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)17/11/1957Oil on canvas27 x 22393
52MPB 70.484Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)17/11/1957Oil on canvas24 x 19390
53MPB 70.485Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco i Nicolasito Pertusato)17/11/1957Oil on canvas24 x 19391
54MPB 70.486Paisatge02/12/1957Oil on canvas14 x 17,5407
55MPB 70.487Paisatge02/12/1957Oil on canvas14 x 18406
56MPB 70.488Paisatge02/12/1957Oil on canvas16 x 22405
57MPB 70.489Retrat de Jacqueline03/12/1957Oil on canvas116 x 89408
58MPB 70.490Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)30/12/1957Oil on canvas33 x 24444

Exhibits

The Suite has been shown in the following exhibitions:

However, there are several works from theSuitethat have been part of other exhibitions. Here you will find the most relevant:

Other versions

Velázquez's Las Meninas have served as inspiration not only to Picasso. The first follower of Velazquez was certainly his son-in-law Juan Bautista del Mazo, court painter to Philip IVin 1661. In the portrait of the Infanta Margarita of Spain, 1666, in the backplane, man can see the placement of Charles II and the dwarf Mari Bárbola in a scene similar to Las Meninas by Velazquez.[3] There is a list of some works of artists who also have versioned Las Meninas throughout art history.

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.bcn.cat/museupicasso/en/collection/mpb70-450.html Artwork commented ast Museu Picasso's website
  2. [#Raf01|Rafart 2001]
  3. MacLaren, Neil. The Spanisch School, National Gallery.. Londres: Catalogues Rev. Allan Braham. National Gallery, 1970, 52-53.