A conversation between the characters of Las Meninas by Velázquez

 

https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/las-meninas/9fdc7800-9ade-48b0-ab8b-edee94ea877f

Shared by María Icíar Serrano Quiñones:    

Las meninas", by Diego Velázquez. 

We are going to use this picture to develop English vocabulary, improve speaking skills, and practice the description using adjectives.

First of all, we will begin showing this painting to the students, and explaining that Velázquez painted this painting in 1656, when King Felipe IV , the penultimate monarch of the Habsburg dynasty.

"Las Meninas", also known as "The Family of Felipe IV", is considered the masterpiece of the Spanish Golden Age painter Diego Velázquez, and it is one of the most analyzed and commented works in the world of art.

This painting, made in oil on a large canvas, was completed in 1656, and
the figures that appear in the foreground are represented in real size.

The main subject is the portrait of the Infanta Margarita de Austria, placed in the foreground, and surrounded by her servants, "las meninas", as well as some other characters.

On the left,it can be seen part of a large canvas, and behind this , the figure of the painter, working on his own painting, like a self-portrait.

Next, the teacher will stand in front of the painting, showing the students the characters that appear in a diary palace scene:

- The Infanta Margarita, the main character of the painting.

-The woman standing on the right, Isabel de Velasco, dressed with a skirt, appears in an attitude of bowing.

-The other menina, located on the left, is Maria Agustina Sarmiento de Sotomayor, and she reclines herself before the royal infanta.

-On the right is the dwarf, called Mari Barbola, and next to the mastiff dog, the dwarf of noble origin called Nicolasito Pertusato.

The lady who looked after and watched over them was Doña Marcela de Ulloa, who appears dressed as a widow. Next to her, in the gloom, another character appears, who is also supposed to serve and guard the maidens.

José Nieto Velázquez, the queen's chamberlain, is located at the back, in an open door through which the exterior light enters. She appears with one knee bent and her feet on the step.

Finally, Felipe IV and his wife, Mariana de Austria are reflected in a mirror, placed in the center and back of the painting.

In the foreground , you can see a dog, a Spanish Mastiff, which is in an attitude of resting.


-Objectives:


-Know Velazquez's most famous painting, placing it within a historical-artistic context.

-Describe in their own words what they see in the painting.

- Talk about the characters, and their relationship between them.

-Give your opinion about the painting, saying if you liked it or not, and why.

-Activities:

-In two groups , the first must formulate the questions, while the other group respond respecting the turns.
Ask using, at the beginning of the sentence, each time:

-An adverb: "Where ?, Why ?, What?, How long?"
-A verb: "is there ?, are there?".
-Yes/no questions.

-Start by asking:

- "Can you see .....?"
And respond:

- "Yes, I can".
- "No, I can't."

-Imagine their lives and talk about it.
- Dialogue as if they were the characters of the picture.

- What are they talking about among themselves?
- How do they speak to the infanta?
- Are they happy?

-Write in the notebook adjectives that describe the characters in the painting, referring to colors, shapes, and size. The teacher will write down the students' answers on the blackboard.

They will also refer to their clothes and the personality of each of them, imagining their way of being, their daily activities, etc.

Finally, we can talk about the main differences between the figurative style, and the abstract one.