Reopened

Not everything has ground to a halt. Before the lockdown began, the pathway around the western half of Hollingworth Lake was closed for "essential drainage works." Today, I was delighted to discover that the works are complete and the path is open, apart from a short diversion where some works continue.  

I chose today's "first listen" after reading an article about Sophie Ellis Bextor (no relation) in today's Guardian. The album is Trip the Light Fantastic" and the song is a very optimistic Today The Sun's On Us.

My painting of the day is another very famous work - Las Meninas by Velázquez (1656) a curious work which dominates a splendid room in the Prado in Madrid. The painting shows Velázquez himself supposedly painting a double portrait of his patron King Philip IV of Spain and his second Queen, Mariana. No such painting exists except for the tiny, blurred image in the mirror on the wall behind the artist. 

The main attention in Las Meninas is the Royal couple's daughter, the Infanta - Princess Margarita, who is posed in a formal, regal style, as required by the strict protocol of the Spanish Court, despite the fact that she was only 5 years old.  The Meninas in the title are the two maids of honour on either side of the Infanta, paying attention to her needs. On the right are figures of a female dwarf, Maria-Bárbola (who was from Germany) and a male counterpart, Nicolas de Pertusato (from Italy.) They were kept to amuse the members of the court, rather like pets.  They are shown in the painting together with a dog.

Velázquez was keen to climb the hierarchy of the Court and was appointed as marshall of the king's household. In this role, he didn't do much painting but had a long list of domestic tasks, including seeing-to the king's bed linen, procuring firewood and coal, and supervising cleaning staff.