The Spinners

     This painting that we all must analyze this week is The Spinners by Diego Velasquez. Although we discussed it alot in class, many of the elements in the painting remain unknown to me and I'm not sure what they might symbolize. But for the time being, I will just describe my thoughts on this work of art.

    First of all, it obviously is a depiction of the mythological story of Arachne, and her spinning contest with Athena. The girl in the white on the right represents Arachne. She is wearing some of the brightest clothes, and to me stands out as a central point in the image. Next, the woman in the white head cloth represents Athena. She appears older and more distinguishes, and the way she is spinning seems more effortless. This could represent her authority and higher power as a goddess. In addition, the foreground of the painting appears to be a stage. I can tell this because of the lady holding back the red curtain on the left side. It makes sense that the contest would be in the form of a stage because it is the main event and a spectacle in the story of Arachne. It is her chance to prove herself in front of everyone, and because of that it represents a show. 

    It is interesting to me how this painting is like two paintings in one. In the background is another story. The tapestry in the back actually references another story- the rape of Europa. I can't see the details of the painting very clearly, but this background portion seems much brighter and lighter and there seems to be people around admiring the work. I think that this area of the painting could represent the winning tapestry of Athena, and everyone admiring it. Since Zeus is judging the contest, it feels like his presence is in the background. When I think of gods I think of lights being associated with it, and there is plenty of light in the background. Overall, I believe that the front of the image is the beginning of the story of Arachne, and the background is the conclusion with the winning tapestry.