The masterpiece by Velázquez, a painting of a painting within a painting, combines several subjects into one: A self-portrait, an almost art-for-art's-sake display of brilliant brush technique, a picture of Spain's royal family and attendants, and an interior scene provide a window into Velázquez's creative environment. In addition to being a conundrum that perplexes spectators as to what they are actually looking at, Las Meninas is a discourse on the nature of sight. The mirror that hangs on the far wall of the studio and reflects the faces of the Spanish King and Queen is the equivalent of breaking the fourth wall in terms of visual art. This immediately raises the question of where we are in relation to the royal couple as they appear to be on our side of the picture plane.
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