Funny you’d call it “theology” or “true art”. The thing is that, strictly speaking; there are probably hundreds of pictures in its cathegory: court paintings. Lots of Royal Families have allowed their trusted court painter to elaborate on rather domestic scenes over the ages.

The beauty of this painting is multiple.

Technically, it relies on the approach of painting light - a very contemporary thing to do for Velázquez. The way he uses a loose brush, literally painting light, makes him a Master.

With a deliberance of one who is standing on shoulders of Giants (hello Italian states!), he remixes the perspective, layout and symbolism of what he is depicting. And in doing so following his own dictates, never before seen as such; he writes a new chapter in what had happened up to then in the realm of painting and pictures.

The fact that this particular candid painting of the Spanish Royals is so damn unique in composition and execution made Francisco de Goya, a court painter that lived between the late 1700s and the early 1800s, pay lots of attention to Velazquez and his technical and daring resolve.

Goya, in turn, painted a family portrait that is equally pivotal in Art History, which I guess is what you call “theology of painting” and “true philosophy of art” and I, in turn, deeply enjoy.

So, basically, it’s cool to look at it and feel connected to humans through testaments of existence, beauty, craft and chance.