The Guardian, October 2, 2013–Diego Velazquez’s portrait of the Infanta Margaret Theresa and her entourage takes pride of place in the Prado museum in Madrid, where it is seen by millions of visitors. Innumerable artists have been inspired by it; Pablo Picasso became so obsessed he painted 58 versions in one year alone. Arguments abound as to the exact meaning of the painting, which, with its use of angles, reflections, and multiple interpretations, creates an unsettling relationship between viewer and subject. On Wednesday, Las Meninas, or the Maids of Honour, provoked the latest argument in its 357-year history. More…
In February of 2013 a group of painters from the most prestigious fine-art schools in China visited the Prado Museum in Madrid with their easels, paints and brushes and were given the opportunity to copy the works of the museum’s grand masters. This is part of a project to acquaint China’s artists–and the society at large–with Western artistic traditions. The experience left them breathless. “Over the past 100 years, and especially since 1978, the Chinese have been a hurry to learn everything about the culture and art of the Western world,” says Chinese painter, Chen Danqin, “I am such a great admirer of Velázquez, but I never dreamed I would be able to come to Spain and stand face to face with one of his originals and actually copy it.” More…