Today We would like you to tell the story wich happened once at the court of King Philip IV of Spain in 1656.
The genius painter Diego Velazquez prepared a huge easel, his palette and brushes to create Our portrait to please to the king and his wife, Mariana of Austria (to be seen in the mirror on the wall).
Local V.I.P. persons came to pose with Us: two dwarfs Maria Barbola and Nicolas Pertusato, a huge mastiff (better not to remind his name!), Don José Nieto Velázquez, the head of the royal tapestry works, seen at the back door.
Las Meninas, 2 maids of honor, doña Isabel de Velasco and doña María Agustina Sarmiento de Sotomayor brought a luxurious little dress with them.
That seemed to Us rather suspicious, and We appeared to be right: the ladies decided to make Us wear the dress!
Diego Velazquez, Las Meowninas, or Fashion victim
“Oh you cute kitty, please put it on”
“Here we are, you put you sweet little paw here, and other there…”
“Izzy, do you think it is a bit narrow?”
“OMG, Mary, I think the kitty ate too many shrimps last time!”
“What shall we do, Izzy? Their majesties will arrive in a minute!”
“Come on Mary, I will not close it at the back, but just hold it by the collar and nobody will notice!”
The door opens and the royal couple arrives “Oh you little furball, look at this little infanta, so pretty you good girl!”
Being a professional meowdel, We kindly tolerated all this torture till Her Majesty took a snapshot and posted it at royal Instagram.
Diego Velazquez, Las Meowninas, or Fashion victim. Detail
But all that time We thought in a very loud voice:
“OMG, please stop it, I AM A BOY!!!”
The ceiling cat heard Our prayers and came to watch Us wearing infanta’s dress. He left a positive feedback, marking Our outstanding grace.
But nobody expected Spanish inquisition who arrived SUDDENLY and demand that the cat should be painted over because he is too fat!
At that time there was no campaign for natural beauty, and the great master was obeyed and painted a pale thin infanta instead of Us!
Look what we have now at the Prado museum:
Diego Velazques, Las Meninas, from the Prado Museum collection
Where is the drama of the gender identity? of the struggle between the love for luxurous outfits and the constant hunger?
The cat makes every painting more trustworthy!
Thus speaks Zarathustra the Cat