Las Meninas

I live in a very big room with shiny, echoey floors. I am a giant painting, so big I almost touch the ceiling. Inside me, it is always a sunny afternoon. A little girl in a beautiful, puffy dress stands in the middle of all her friends. They are here to help her look her best. A big, sleepy dog is resting his head on his paws right on the floor. And there is a tall man holding a paintbrush, looking right out at you. Hello there. I am a painting, and my name is Las Meninas. I have been holding a very special secret inside my frame for a long, long time, and I want to share it with you.

My painter was a kind man with a mustache named Diego Velázquez. He was a very special artist who made paintings for the King and Queen of Spain. He lived in a big palace where I was born. Way back in the year 1656, he mixed his colorful paints on a wooden board and used his softest, fluffiest brushes to bring my world to life. He even decided to play a little game. He painted himself right into the picture. Can you believe it. He’s the tall man standing by the other giant canvas, looking right out as if to say hello to everyone who visits me.

Now, are you ready for my biggest secret. The little girl in the middle is a real princess. Her name is Infanta Margarita Teresa. But the best secret is hidden way in the back. If you look very closely, you can see a little mirror hanging on the wall. And inside that mirror, you can see the princess’s mommy and daddy. They are the King and Queen, and they are watching everyone in the room. For hundreds of years, people have smiled at my surprise. I am like a window to a time long ago, showing that a painting can be a fun game that connects us all.