The Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, is one of the best museums in the world. The collection contains European art starting with the 12th century to the beginning of the 20th  century.

My favorite painting is Las Meninas Spanish for The Ladies in Waiting by Diego Velazquez. It was painted in 1656. The painter (himself) is painting the portrait of Infanta (Princess) Margarita Teresa who is entertained by her entourage. The complexity of the painting is intriguing. There are at least 3 layers of light. The first one coming through the window and falling on the faces in the first row. Then there is the light from the second window that touches the mirror and the last one from the open door at the back. Some experts say that it is the king that is leaving through the back door, others say that there are images of the king and the queen in the mirror reflecting from the painting that Velazquez is working on. Las Meninas is considered to be one of the most important paintings of European art.

I am a storyteller. True or not this is my story,

Nina Turek