Masterpieces of Art and Architecture: Versailles, Rembrandt, Velázquez

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles, once a collection of private palaces and gardens, stands as a testament to the rational management of nature within a city in France. André Le Nôtre designed and organized the gardens of Versailles. The conception of the work adheres to the strict rules of French Classicism. Its facades are structured in three levels, corresponding to the service area (basement), the main hall (ground floor), and the intimate rooms (upper floor). The facade features a prominent base, culminating in a third floor adorned with small windows. Certain sections of the wall are decorated with columns, representing one of the few concessions to the Baroque style. Although the interior rooms are ostentatiously decorated, they deviate from the coldness of Classicism to embrace the lines of Baroque opulence.

Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp

Professor Dr. Tulp commissioned Rembrandt to capture a public anatomy lecture. The medical assistants depicted are not just anyone. This strange and enigmatic piece is believed to have undergone several alterations that deviate from the original. The artist reveals himself as an excellent master of composition, using the body of an executed man as the focal point of the work. The treatment of light generates attention, as if a lamp were illuminating the viewers within a somewhat tenebrist environment. The study is an individualized portrait.

Gregorio Fernández's La Piedad

La Piedad was created for the Church of Sorrows in Valladolid. It represents a group consisting of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, the two thieves, Saint John, and Mary Magdalene. The structure is pyramidal, exhibiting high physical stability. The folds are still angular, influenced by Flemish art. Nevertheless, Fernández masterfully executes the anatomy of Christ, while the expression becomes the dominant note of the group. The mastery of polychromy contributes to the drama of the scene, enhancing its realism.

Juan Martínez Montañés's Christ of Mercy

Christ of Mercy, by Juan Martínez Montañés, is located in the Cathedral of Seville. The figure has open eyes and wounds, but blood is dispensed without reaching the excesses of Gregorio Fernández's Castilian Christs. The cloths are more realistic.

Velázquez's Las Meninas

At the center of the painting is the Infanta Margarita, flanked by the Meninas (ladies-in-waiting). To the right of the painting are two dwarfs, with the dwarf Nicolasito Pertusato placing his foot on a mastiff. In front of them is a large canvas on which Velázquez is portraying the King and Queen, who are reflected in a mirror at the back of the room. In the doorway stands a man, possibly a relative of the painter.

The painting is executed in oil on canvas.