Painting Challenge 3 week 3

We referred once more to Las Meninas the Velazquez painting. This was because a transcription of the painting by Picasso is in the newly opened ‘Monochrome’ exhibition at the National Gallery. The exhibition was reviewed in the Sunday Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/waldemar-januszczak-art-review-monochrome-national-gallery-ff9hjjmhf?shareToken=8693facfaf47c303743498639acb7c9a

We discussed these versions of the painting and we went on to talk about the Titian portrait La Schiavona which is also in the exhibition. Apparently the painting is about the battle between the highest art form - is it Painting or Sculpture? We also thought that the carved marble figure is the profile of the person looking out at us. The composition of this painting is very good - especially the positioning of the sculpture. I always try and imagine how the painting would have looked if the positioning of major components were reversed or for example if the head of the sculpture was looking out of the picture rather than into it.