Who appears in the mirror on the back wall?

King Philip IV and Queen Mariana

What is Velázquez doing in the painting?

Standing at a large canvas with brush and palette

What red symbol appears on Velázquez's chest?

The Cross of the Order of Santiago

Who stands in the lit doorway at the back?

José Nieto, the queen's chamberlain

Las Meninas Quiz: Velázquez's Masterpiece at the Prado

Diego Velázquez painted a moment in the Spanish royal palace in 1656 that has puzzled viewers ever since, and this Las Meninas quiz explores who is in it and who is watching. Play 10 interactive questions on Infanta Margarita Teresa, the maids of honor, the mirror with Philip IV and Mariana, the man in the doorway, the Cross of Santiago and Picasso's 58 versions.

Start Las Meninas Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Painter
Who painted Las Meninas?
Year
When was Las Meninas painted?
Museum
Where does Las Meninas hang?
Center
Who stands at the center of the painting?
Meninas
What does las meninas mean?
Mirror
Who appears in the mirror on the back wall?
Self
What is Velázquez doing in the painting?
Cross
What red symbol appears on Velázquez's chest?
Doorway
Who stands in the lit doorway at the back?
Picasso
How many variations of Las Meninas did Picasso paint in 1957?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Who painted Las Meninas?
Answer: Diego Velázquez
He was court painter to Philip IV.
Q2: When was Las Meninas painted?
Answer: 1656
It is a masterpiece of the Spanish Golden Age.
Q3: Where does Las Meninas hang?
Answer: The Prado in Madrid
It is the Prado's most famous painting.
Q4: Who stands at the center of the painting?
Answer: Infanta Margarita Teresa
The young princess is surrounded by attendants.
Q5: What does las meninas mean?
Answer: The maids of honor
Two young ladies attend the princess.
Q6: Who appears in the mirror on the back wall?
Answer: King Philip IV and Queen Mariana
The reflection suggests they stand where the viewer is.
Q7: What is Velázquez doing in the painting?
Answer: Standing at a large canvas with brush and palette
He looks out toward the viewer.
Q8: What red symbol appears on Velázquez's chest?
Answer: The Cross of the Order of Santiago
He joined the order in 1659, so it was added after the painting was finished.
Q9: Who stands in the lit doorway at the back?
Answer: José Nieto, the queen's chamberlain
His figure adds depth to the scene.
Q10: How many variations of Las Meninas did Picasso paint in 1957?
Answer: 58
They are in the Museu Picasso in Barcelona.

Las Meninas Quiz – A Painting That Looks Back at You

Las Meninas was painted in 1656 by Diego Velázquez, court painter to King Philip IV of Spain. It hangs in the Prado Museum in Madrid and is one of the most analyzed paintings in Western art.

At the center is the young Infanta Margarita Teresa, attended by two maids of honor, las meninas, along with dwarfs and a dog. Velázquez paints himself at a large canvas, and a mirror on the back wall shows the king and queen, suggesting they stand where the viewer is.

José Nieto appears in a doorway, and the Cross of Santiago on the painter's chest was added after he joined the order in 1659. In 1957 Pablo Picasso painted 58 variations of the work.

What This Quiz Teaches

Art lovers will enjoy these questions on a masterpiece.

Who painted it
Who appears in it
What the mirror shows
Why it is puzzling
How later artists responded

Did You Know?

The painting is about 3.2 meters tall.
Mari Bárbola is one of the court dwarfs shown.
The dog is a large mastiff.
Luca Giordano called it the theology of painting.
Velázquez worked for Philip IV for decades.