Painted almost certainly
in 1657, this painting is also known as Las hilanderas, and conceals the
portrayal of a mythological theme. This is the fable of Arachne, the
weaver who angered the goddess Minerva by the quality of her tapestries.
Arachne was turned into a spider by the goddess of the arts who, being also
the goddess of war, appears in the background of the scene, in warlike
attire. The background of the workroom is where the plot of the fable
is developed; while in the foreground the workroom activity is portrayed.
In both spaces the study of light is magnificent and carefully done, and a
fluidity and freedom of brushwork make this painting one of the most
appreciated forerunners of Impressionism.
Diego Rodriguez de Silva y
Velazquez, a Spanish Baroque painter, was born in Seville in 1599. At
the age of eleven he began his apprenticeship in the studio of Francisco
Pacheco, leaving in 1617 as Master painter.
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