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The Household of Philip IV, 'Las Meninas'

Image credit: National Trust Images

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One of the most celebrated images in the history of Western art, this composition takes its name from the handmaidens of the Infanta Margarita (1651–1673), daughter of Philip IV of Spain, and Mariana of Austria. Velázquez, the painter of the original work, depicts himself next to the handmaidens accompanied by two dwarves in the foreground, one of whom kicks the dog (reputedly a descendant of the Lyme mastiff given to Philip III) out of the way of the entering royal couple.

The much larger original of 1656 is now in the Prado, Madrid, and it would have only been known to the royal family when William Bankes bought this painting, possibly thinking it was a sketch for the larger work by the master Velázquez. However, it was probably painted by his son-in-law and successor as Painter to the Crown.

National Trust, Kingston Lacy

Wimborne Minster

Title

The Household of Philip IV, 'Las Meninas'

Date

1656–1677

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 142 x W 122 cm

Accession number

1257140

Acquisition method

bequeathed by Ralph Bankes, 1981

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

National Trust, Kingston Lacy

Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 4EA England

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