Las Meninas
Diego Velázquez · 1656
Oil on canvas
Quick answer
Las Meninas (1656) by Diego Velázquez is in Museo del Prado, Madrid. Las Meninas is a large oil painting by Spanish Baroque artist Diego Velázquez, completed in 1656. It depicts the Infanta Margarita Teresa of Spain surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting (meninas), attendants, a dwarf, and a dog in the Royal Alcázar of Madrid. Velázquez himself appears in the painting, at work on a large canvas. The painting is displayed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid and is considered one of the most analysed and debated paintings in Western art history. World Museum Guide explains what you're looking at and how to see it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Las Meninas about?
Las Meninas depicts a moment in the royal apartments of the Madrid palace, in which the Infanta Margarita (Philip IV's daughter) visits Velázquez at work. The "ladies-in-waiting" (meninas) and other attendants surround her. The King and Queen appear reflected in a mirror at the back — implying they are standing in the room, in the position the viewer occupies. Whether Velázquez is painting the Infanta, the royal couple, or us — the viewer — is the central unresolved question.
Where is Las Meninas displayed?
Las Meninas is in Room 012 on the ground floor of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. It is the most prominent work in the Prado's collection and has its own dedicated space within the museum.
Who are the meninas?
Las Meninas means "ladies-in-waiting" in Portuguese (it was the term used at the Spanish court). In the painting, the meninas are the two young ladies attending the Infanta: María Agustina Sarmiento de Sotomayor, kneeling to offer a red clay cup, and Isabel de Velasco, curtseying on the right. They were noble daughters serving in the royal household as a mark of honour.
Did Velázquez paint himself into Las Meninas?
Yes — Velázquez appears on the left side of the painting, at a large canvas, holding a palette and brushes. He wears the red cross of the Order of Santiago on his chest, though he was not actually admitted to the Order until 1659, three years after the painting was finished — the cross was added to the painting posthumously, possibly by the King himself.
What is on the large canvas in Las Meninas?
We cannot see it. The canvas faces away from us, showing only the back of the wooden stretcher. This deliberate concealment is one of the painting's defining puzzles — it may show the King and Queen (who appear in the mirror), the Infanta, or even the viewer. Velázquez leaves the question unanswered.