DIEGO DE VELÁZQUEZ: “The family of King Philip IV (Las Meninas)” - 1656 - oil on canvas, 321- 281 cm. Museum of the Prado, Madrid.

“The Theology of Painting”. An anonymous critic described this work with these words during the 19 th century. Théopile Gautier was even beyond, and in front of this canvas, he asked: but where is the painting? In fact, Gautier was in front of the work that supposes –along with the precedent one- the zenith of the baroque painting.

The work is a very complex game of planes and lines of composition. Velázquez self-portraits himself painting the royal portrait of Kings Felipe IV and Mariana of Austria, when the irruption of Infant Margarita caused the interruption of the session. This way, the Kings, who appear reflected in a small mirror at the foreground, would be located at the same position than the spectator, establishing a skilful in-and-out plot in which the observer feels the impulse to advance towards the interior of the picture.

The legend -probably more false than certain- tells that when Velázquez presented the painting to the King, this said him: “it lacks a last detail”. And taking the brush, he painted on the chest of the figure of Velázquez the cross of the Order of Santiago. Legends aside, this work is one of the best paintings of the history of the humanity.