The Velázquez case

This book finally provides answers to the persistent puzzles of Diego Velázquez's paintings. Wolf Moser does not present new views but instead offers solid, unexpected findings. This leads to coherent interpretations of the most intricate images: Venus and Cupid, the church painting Joseph's Rock, a half-figure known as The Lady with the Fan, the final bust portrait of Philip IV, and of course, Las Meninas. In the sequence of their interpretation, the fan of gifts, ideas, and artistic means of the painter unfolds before the reader. Moser interprets the fascinatingly mysterious palace scene La Familia, painted in 1656, which has since sparked the curiosity and sharpness of perception of viewers with its feigned ordinariness. The academic world refers to the enigmatic painting Las Meninas; while it is well aware of every visible component, it still does not know what the court ladies are ultimately presenting. Moser.