There are many spectacular things to note about this painting, beginning with its creator. Painted by Diego Velazquez, it is one of the most note-worthy of his works. Velazquez was the leading painter of the Spanish school. Born in Seville in 1599 his works fall into the Baroque period of art. From the young age of 11, Velazquez acted an apprentice. His earliest teachings were from Francisco de Herrera the elder, whom he soon left for the studio of Pacheco, where he remained for five years. This training is reflected in his works, especially early on, where there is a strong naturalistic quality. After marrying Pacheco's daughter, he moved to Madrid. He remained there under the protection of the conde de Olivares. He soon became a court painter. When famous baroque painter Rubens visited the Spanish court near the end of 1629, Velazquez was influenced to travel to Italy to observe and work. He returned to the Spanish court two years later, and entered into what is co!

Interestingly enough, the painting was the subject of feminist protests in the early 1900's. One angry demonstrator stormed into the National Gallery and took an ax to the painting, attempting to destroy the painting, saying that it mocked real women, who were in fact powerless.

Yet the gaze in the mirror can be looked at differently. It is not realistic. It does not reflect what it should, but rather it shows a hazy reflection of her Venus. In this way, the portrait can be looked at more abstractly. Instead of seeing a portrait of Venus, or a nude, it can be viewed as a picture of a selfish self-absorbed beauty who has no sense of purpose other than her self-admiration. Venus here is a timeless example of beauty, in that like, beauty she has no purpose other then to exist for the admiration of others.

nting is very important. Specific color placement creates the strong focal point. Additionally, this is one of the few works by Velazquez that uses bright color. The red in the curtain that is behind Cupid, in this instance. The bright and decadent color can be used to symbolism the love and beauty that Cupid and Venus were responsible for. Additionally, it is a color associated with sensuality, which is portrayed as well. Finally, the sweeping red also adds to the richness of the composition.

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Approximate Word count = 1201
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)