In Memoriam

Las Meninas, by Diego Velázquez, 1656

On Saturday, my grandfather died. He was a great lover of all things Spanish, from Dom Quixote to Flamenco Dancing. He'd been to both Spain and Mexico, and even attempted to buy condos in Cancun. This was one of his favorite paintings. He set it as the desktop on his computer. Some of the things he liked about it: Velazquez painted himself into the picture. He is the figure on the far right, and in the scene he is actually painting a portrait of a couple. You can see them reflected in the mirror to the rear of the room. He liked the dwarf handmaiden that appears second from the left, and the figure of the girls' father silhouetted in the doorway. My grandfather had great attention to detail, and this painting had enough detail to keep him amused and entertained. I like it too, and therefore I share it with you today.