THE STORY BEHIND

A PICE OF ARTAim: To read about the story behind a

piece of art. To practice structures with prepositional sentences. To describe a picture.

1. How many people are there in the painting?

2. Who do you think they are and when do you think they lived?

3. What do you think they are looking at?

4. Can you see the painter? What do you think he is painting?

Diego Velázquez (A), the Spanish Court Painter, is at work. He stands in front of a large canvas on the far left hand side of the picture, brushes in one hand and palette in the other.

Five-year-old Margarita-Teresa (B), the king's daughter, stands in the centre of the painting between her two maids of honour (meninas). One of them, Doña María (C), offers the Princess a drink but she doesn't seem interested: There is clearly someonw or something more interesting in the room.

The woman behind Doña Isabel (D), the maid of honour on the right, is the Princess's chaperoner (E). She is talking to bodyguard (F). Then in the background, standing in the doorway is Don José Nieto Veláquez (G). He may be a relative painter.

Two dwarfs on the right hand side of the picture complete Margarita-Teresa's entourage. Like the Princess and the painter, Maribarbola (H) is looking our way. Nicolasito (I) on the other hand is more interested in playing with the big sleepy dog (J) in the foreground.

READ THE TEXT AND IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE BY LABELLINGTHE DIAGRAM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE (GIVE STUDENTS WORKSHEET 2.2)

So what is happening here? What is Diego Veláquez painting and what is his composition all about? As we look at the figures in his picture, why do many of them look back at us and make us feel as if we are the centre of attention? There is an important clue in the room. Above the head of the Princess, hanging on the back wall, there is something that looks like another painting. In fact, it is a mirror. What we are looking is the reflection of Margarita-Teresa's parent's

The viewer is occupying the same space as King Felipe IV (K) and his Queen (L) who are posing to have their portraits painted. Perphaps the King or Queen remarked that the scene in front of their eyes would make a good picture. Perhaps 200 years before the invention of photographic film and the request of his employers, Veláquez has captured a real moment in time behind the scenes at the Royal Court.

WORKSHEET 2.2

SOLUTION:

DICTATION:

Source: “Resource books for teachers”, series editor Alan Maley. Images, Jamie Keddie.Oxford University Press