Les Menines, three bronze and steel sculptures by Spanish artist Manolo Valdes are displayed at a plaza in Boulogne-Billancourt. Part of a 2005 series of 21, the sculptures represent l'enfante Margarita, the daughter of Queen Mariana of Spain.
Valdes's sculptures were inspired by the Spanish painter Velasquez's celebrity portraits on permanent display in the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Valdes's work has been featured at the Metropolitan Museum, as well as the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Guggenheim in Venice; the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain; the Queen Sofia Museum in Madrid; the Institute of Modern Art in Valencia and the Musee d'Art Moderne de Paris.
I love these. They look like dolls.
I remember reading a biography of Henry the 8th, and how everyone in his court made fun of his first wife Katherine's spanish style of dress. So dark and big. Looks like that.
:)
Posted by: amber | 12 June 2006 at 17:59
wow...they look huge and heavy. Thanks for sharing the pictures and info.
Posted by: jinxthegypsy | 12 June 2006 at 17:40
These are intriguing, aren't they? Catalina is right in that with Velazquez the daughters are somewhat unattractive, but with the solid imposing bulk that these sculptures add too, I am left musing about what else is being represented by the artist. Such monoliths of Western art (can MONOlith be plural?!!) made huge and stone-like. The realtionship Valdes has with Velazquez is clearly complex and ambivalent. So much to ponder!
Posted by: bb | 12 June 2006 at 13:58
next.not nest.......:)
Posted by: Catalina | 12 June 2006 at 10:54
Thank you for making us discover this artist Tara!
When I was teenager and I was traveling by train in Spain, a man close to me asked me if I knew "Las Meninas" de Velasquez......I had seen it several times at El Prado but didn't remember well.he told me I looked like one of them.....so, of course I run the nest opportunity to see them.and I was very deceived! (I didn't find them beautiful......specially one of them.so I told myself that IT HAS to be one of the others.....:)
Posted by: Catalina | 12 June 2006 at 10:53
hi,
you always get amazing photographs...i loved reading your last post...about Paris..thanks for sharing..
best wishes!
Posted by: abhay | 12 June 2006 at 10:37
you have the coolest blog... I learn something new everytime I visit you.
Posted by: diana | 12 June 2006 at 00:54
Wonderful! The sculptures have as much weight as the painting does... I always wondered how she felt in that gown. I love when artists use direct inspiration in their work and we can see it in a new vain...!
Posted by: Ulla | 11 June 2006 at 20:15
Do you remember when they had the Botero sculptures on display on the Champs Elysées? The work of Valdes kind of reminds me of that.
Posted by: meredith | 11 June 2006 at 20:06
Wow - we don't have anything like that around here!
Posted by: jennifer | 11 June 2006 at 17:15
This is brilliant! Très original. I don't often come across sculptures that speak to me. I have no idea why this does, but it does.
Posted by: Colette | 11 June 2006 at 17:10
Wow! Are these on permanent exhibit here?
Posted by: Annie | 11 June 2006 at 16:26
Very cool sculptures! I always wanted to live in an era in which I could wear full skirts like that...not only would that fashion hide my posterior but what fun with all the petitecoats underneath...swooshing as you walk along :-)
Posted by: susan | 11 June 2006 at 15:08