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,Artwork commented ast Museu Picasso's website 3 landscapes, and a portrait of his second wife 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 #RegistryRafart 2001TitleDateFormatsize (cm)Zervos XVII1MPB 70.433Las Meninas (conjunt)17/08/1957Oil on canvas194 x 2603512MPB 70.434Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)20/08/1957Oil on canvas100 x 813533MPB 70.435Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)20/08/1957Oil on canvas46 x 37.53524MPB 70.436Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)21/08/1957Oil on canvas100 x 813565MPB 70.437Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)22/08/1957Oil on canvas33 x 243546MPB 70.438Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)26/08/1957Oil on canvas41 x 32,53577MPB 70.439Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)27/08/1957Oil on canvas40,5 x 333558MPB 70.440Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)27/08/1957Oil on canvas33 x 243619MPB 70.441Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)27/08/1957Oil on canvas33 x 2435910MPB 70.442Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)28/08/1957Oil on canvas18 x 1435811MPB 70.443Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)28/08/1957Oil on canvas18 x 1436012MPB 70.444Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)04/09/1957Oil on canvas35 x 2736513MPB 70.445Las Meninas (composició central)04/09/1957Oil on canvas35 x 2736314MPB 70.446Las Meninas (conjunt)04/09/1957Oil on canvas46 x 37,536415MPB 70.447Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)05/09/1957Oil on canvas35 x 2736616MPB 70.448Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)06/09/1957Oil on canvas41 x 32,536717MPB 70.449Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)06/09/1957Oil on canvas46 x 37,536218MPB 70.450Els colomins06/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 8039419MPB 70.451Els colomins06/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 8039520MPB 70.452Els colomins07/09/1957Oil on canvas33 x 2439821MPB 70.453Els colomins07/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 8039622MPB 70.454Els colomins07/09/1957Oil on canvas80 x 100No catalogat23MPB 70.455Els colomins11/09/1957Oil on canvas129 x 9739724MPB 70.456Els colomins14/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 8039925MPB 70.457Els colomins12/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 8040026MPB 70.458Els colomins12/09/1957Oil on canvas145 x 11340127MPB 70.459Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María)14/09/1957Oil on canvas100 x 8136828MPB 70.460Las Meninas (conjunt sense Velázquez)15/09/1957Oil on canvas129 x 16136929MPB 70.461Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento i infanta Margarita María)17/09/1957Oil on canvas32,5 x 4137130MPB 70.462Las Meninas (conjunt sense Velázquez)17/09/1957Oil on canvas129 x 16137031MPB 70.463Las Meninas (conjunt)18/09/1957Oil on canvas129 x 16137232MPB 70.464Las Meninas (conjunt)19/09/1957Oil on canvas161 x 12937333MPB 70.465Las Meninas (conjunt)02/10/1957Oil on canvas161 x 12937434MPB 70.466Las Meninas (conjunt)03/10/1957Oil on canvas129 x 16137535MPB 70.467Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)09/10/1957Oil on canvas65 x 5437736MPB 70.468Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)09/10/1957Oil on canvas65 x 5437637MPB 70.469Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento i infanta Margarita María)10/10/1957Oil on canvas92 x 7337938MPB 70.470Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)10/10/1957Oil on canvas73 x 5537839MPB 70.471Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)10/10/1957Oil on canvas115 x 8938040MPB 70.472El Piano17/10/1957Oil on canvas130 x 9640441MPB 70.473Las Meninas (Nicolasito Pertusato)24/10/1957Oil on canvas61 x 5038242MPB 70.474Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco, María Bárbola i Nicolasito Pertusato)24/10/1957Oil on canvas130 x 9638343MPB 70.475Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco, María Bárbola i Nicolasito Pertusato)24/10/1957Oil on canvas130 x 9638444MPB 70.476Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco, María Bárbola i Nicolasito Pertusato)24/10/1957Oil on canvas130 x 9638145MPB 70.477Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco i María Bárbola)08/11/1957Oil on canvas130 x 9638546MPB 70.478Las Meninas (infanta Margarita María i Isabel de Velasco)15/11/1957Oil on canvas130 x 9638647MPB 70.479Las Meninas (conjunt sense Velázquez)15/11/1957Oil on canvas130 x 9638748MPB 70.480Las Meninas (conjunt sense Velázquez ni María Bárbola)17/11/1957Oil on canvas35 x 2738849MPB 70.481Las Meninas (María Agustina Sarmiento)17/11/1957Oil on canvas24 x 1938950MPB 70.482Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)17/11/1957Oil on canvas24 x 1939251MPB 70.483Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)17/11/1957Oil on canvas27 x 2239352MPB 70.484Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)17/11/1957Oil on canvas24 x 1939053MPB 70.485Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco i Nicolasito Pertusato)17/11/1957Oil on canvas24 x 1939154MPB 70.486Paisatge02/12/1957Oil on canvas14 x 17,540755MPB 70.487Paisatge02/12/1957Oil on canvas14 x 1840656MPB 70.488Paisatge02/12/1957Oil on canvas16 x 2240557MPB 70.489Retrat de Jacqueline03/12/1957Oil on canvas116 x 8940858MPB 70.490Las Meninas (Isabel de Velasco)30/12/1957Oil on canvas33 x 24444

Exhibits

The Suite has been shown in the following exhibitions: 1959 - Les Menines, Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris. 1960 - Picasso, Tate Gallery, London. 1964 - Pablo Picasso. Exhibition Japan 1964, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan. 1964 - Pablo Picasso. Exhibition Japan 1964, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan. 1964 - Pablo Picasso. Exhibition Japan 1964, Nagoya City Art Museum, Japan. 1966 - 1967 - Hommage à Pablo Picasso, Grand Palais, Paris. 1967 - Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. 1968 - Museu Picasso, Barcelona. 2008 - Forgetting Velázquez: Between 16 May and 28 September 2008, an exhibition at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona, which explains the influence of Velázquez and Picasso's work on other contemporary artists. The exhibition, divided into two sections, brought together works of the seventeenth century Spanish painters such as Velázquez, Juan Carreño de Miranda and Juan Bautista del Mazo, and some of the Las Meninas by Picasso next to more contemporary productions, with works by artists such as Francisco Goya, Michael Craig-Martin, Josep Maria Sert, Richard Hamilton and Thomas Struth. It was curated by Gertje Utley and Malén Gual.

However, there are several works from theSuite that have been part of other exhibitions, such as:

1980 - Picasso: A Retrospective, MoMA, Nova York. 1981 - Picasso 1881-1973. Exposición Antológica, Museo Español de Arte Contemporáneo, Madrid. 1985 - La peinture après 1940. Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam 1988 - Picasso in the Soviet Union. Pushkin Museum, Moscou 2006 - Picasso. Tradición y vanguardia. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid 2008 - Picasso et les Maîtres. Grand Palais, Paris 2009 - Picasso: Challenging the past. National Gallery of London 2010 - Picasso: Peace and Freedom. Tate Liverpool

Other versions

Velázquez's Las Meninas has 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 IV in 1661. In the portrait of the Infanta Margarita of Spain (1666), the placement of Charles II and the dwarf Mari Bárbola in the background recalls Las Meninas by Velazquez.MacLaren, Neil. The Spanisch School, National Gallery.. Londres: Catalogues Rev. Allan Braham. National Gallery, 1970, 52-53. Listed here are some other works of artists who have created versions of Las Meninas throughout art history:

Claudio Bravo, La vista Herman Braun-Vega decided to work on Las Meninas after visiting Picasso Museum in Barcelona in 1968 : Velázquez mis à nu accompagné des menines (1968), Museum of Antioquia Velásquez Going to His Easel (From the series Velázquez Stripped Bare) (1968), Blanton Museum of Art Les invités sur l'herbe d'après Vélasquez, Manet et Picasso (1970), Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris ¡Caramba! (Cézanne, Goya, Ingres, Matisse, Picasso, Rembrandt, Vélasquez) (1983), private collection Il est interdit de s'arrêter (Velazquez) (1984), private collection Hotel du Sud (Vélasquez, Ingres, Manet et Matisse) (1985), private collection Dual insight into the West (Velazquez and Picasso) (1987), private collection La familia Informal (Vélasquez, Goya, Picasso) (1992), Ralli Museum (Marbella) Concierto en el mercado (Vélasquez) (1997), private collection Juan Pareja revisiting Picasso Meninas (Velazquez) (2000), private collection Louis Cane, Meninas squatting (1982), private collection Philippe Comar, Las Meninas (1978), Centre Georges Pompidou Equipo Crónica, El recinte (1971), private collection Salvador Dalí, Velázquez pintant la infanta Margarida amb les llums i les ombres de la seva pròpia glòria (1958), Salvador Dalí Museum Edgar Degas, Variation on Velázquez's Las Meninas (1857), Neue Pinakothek Antonio de Felipe, In-Fanta de llimona II (1992), Iria Souto Catoira collection Luca Giordano, Hommage to Velázquez (National Gallery of London Alberto Gironella, Cambra Oscura (1975), private collection Francisco de Goya, Las Meninas (1780–85) Biblioteca Nacional de España Richard Hamilton, Interior II (1964) Tate Richard Hamilton, Las Meninas of Picasso (1973) Tate Yasumasa Morimura, Daughter of Art History (Princess A), private collection Vik Muniz, Las Meninas by Velazquez (the chocolate paintings)(2002) Jorge Oteiza, Hommage to Las Meninas (1958), Fundació Juan March Giulio Paolini, Contemplator Enim VI (fuori l'autore) (1991) Antonio Saura, Infanta i Saba (1962) Josep Maria Sert, Figurí per a Las Meninas (1916), Fundación Juan March Soledad Sevilla, Las Meninas Núm. IX (1981-1983) John Singer Sargent, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit (1882), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Thomas Struth, Museo del Prado 6 (2005), private collection Franz von Stuck, Family group (1909), Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium Eve Sussman, 89 segons at the Alcázar (2004), private collection Manolo Valdés, Reina Marianna (1989), private collection Jeff Wall, Picture for Women (1979), Centre Georges Pompidou James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Whistler in his studio (1865) Joel-Peter Witkin, Las Meninas. New Mexico (1987)

References

Bibliography

Velázquez: Painter and Courtier. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986.

Translated by Valerie Collins as Picasso's Las Meninas. Meteroa, 2001.

External links Las Meninas commented at Museu Picasso website

fr:Las Meninas