by Diego Velázquez, 1657
Diego Velázquez painted The Spinners (Las Hilanderas) around 1657. The foreground shows women working at the Royal Tapestry Factory of Santa Isabel, their spinning wheel blurred with motion. In the background, elegantly dressed figures examine a tapestry depicting the myth of Arachne.
Velázquez creates a notable contrast between the dark, active workspace and the bright alcove beyond. The spinning wheel's blur demonstrates his interest in capturing movement. The background tapestry shows Athena punishing Arachne for daring to rival the goddess's weaving skills, a story about artistic pride and divine retribution.
Later additions extended the canvas on all sides, altering Velázquez's original composition. The Prado displays the painting at its expanded size. Art historians continue debating the layers of meaning Velázquez embedded in this apparently simple scene.
Other masterpieces from the Baroque movement

Frans Hals, 1624
Wallace Collection, London
Johannes Vermeer, 1666
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Johannes Vermeer, 1665
Mauritshuis, The Hague

El Greco, 1614
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Johannes Vermeer, 1670
Louvre, Paris, Paris

Johannes Vermeer, 1664
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Johannes Vermeer, 1663
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn, 1654
Louvre, Paris, Paris
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