A Painting to Remember: ‘Las Meninas’

One of the most written about paintings of all time

A detail from “Las Meninas” (The Maids of Honor), between 1656 and 1657, by Diego Velázquez. Oil on canvas; 10 feet ,5 inches by 9 feet ,1 inch. Prado Museum. Public Domain

Three memories I have of the first time I visited Madrid: the relentless elegance of the women in the fashionable areas, the sumptuous gazpacho at the Ritz Madrid, and seeing “Las Meninas” in the Prado.

Ask an artist or a philosopher today to name the greatest painting in the world and the chances are they will say “Las Meninas” (The Maids of Honor) by Diego Velasquez.