Lesson 6 Assignment-Gestalt Principles

The art piece I have chosen is called Las Meninas or The Maids of Honour. The
artist famous for this piece is Diego Velazquez. This piece is 2-dimensional and I feel as though
it can accurately display three of Gestalts principles properly.
The first principle labeled would be the principle of Figure-Ground. The Figure-Ground
principle alludes to the portrayal of the primary figurehead as the center of attention. The story
of the painting is portrayed differently from the background or supporting figures. In this piece,
the principle is portrayed through the young girl in the center of the picture. She is lighter in
tone with very light blonde hair. She is also displayed in the center surrounded by many figures
much darker and less detailed. With the vivid colors of her dress and details of her features, the
idea is that the artist is dictating that she may be the centralized story of the piece. This follows
the term of the Figure-Ground principle.
The second principle noted is the Proximity Principle. This principle projects that the
subjects portrayed in the piece that are closer to each other are enhanced into a group theme. The
individuals or characters are grouped together and separated based on placement in the art frame.
The principle is clearly used in this painting through the grouping of the women versus the men
settled into the background. This is directly noticed with the man painted to be waiting in the
stairwell while the groups of women seem to be in conversation with the young girl. The two
individuals on the right also seem to be set into the background. They are of a much darker tone
with much less descriptive ideals.
The last principle provided in the piece is the principle of Good Continuation. Good
Continuation leaves a story where the picture is not directly presented. This means that even

though the picture lacks to provide all aspects of this story, an assumption can be gathered based
on the information provided. The principle of Good Continuation is viewed in the picture
through the idea that the man shown in the background is seen stepping into the stairwell. It is
not vividly portrayed, but assumed that he is male based on clothing apparatus, and he is using
his hand to move a sheet or curtain to provide view of the room. With this assumption being
made, the continuation of the image subconsciously seems resolved.
With these three listed Gestalt principles, the image seems to be able to take on a
three-dimensional feel. The portrayal of the figurehead provides a purpose to the story. The
details and positions of the figures dictate importance and gravity of the subject matter. The
continuation leaves room for interpretation to an overall three-dimensional realistic realm.

References:
Reference for the picture provided:
Velazquez,D.(1656).LasMeninas[PaintingfoundinMuseoNacionalDelPrado,Madrid,Spain].RetrievedApril
06,2016,fromhttp://www.velazquezlasmeninas.com/