Diego Velázquez
Time for an absolute classic: the famous Las Meninas. In English this title means "The Ladies-in-Waiting." There are many reasons why this painting became legendary; for sure it has become one of the most widely analyzed works in Western painting due to the way its complex and enigmatic composition raises questions about reality and illusion and the uncertain relationship it creates between the viewer and the figures depicted.
Before anything, please tap on the painting and look at what is happening there in the full screen. We see several figures, most identifiable from the Spanish court, captured in a particular moment as if in a snapshot. It totally looks like a photo! Some of the figures look out of the canvas towards the viewer, while others interact among themselves. The five-year-old Infanta Margaret Theresa (whom we know from multiple portraits) is surrounded by her entourage of maids of honor, chaperone, bodyguard, two dwarfs, and a dog. Just behind them, Velázquez portrays himself working on a large canvas. The artist looks outwards, beyond the pictorial space to where a viewer of the painting would stand. In the background, there is a mirror that reflects the upper bodies of the king and queen. They appear to be placed outside the picture space in a position similar to that of the viewer, although some scholars have speculated that their image is a reflection of the painting Velázquez is shown working on.
It is an unforgettable artist's manifesto of his capabilities, and in general of what can be achieved in the medium of painting. The composition and the relations depicted here are amazing, but what I always loved about this painting is Velázquez's free brushwork. It is like poetry.