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The Rest Is HistoryFebruary 11, 2026
Greatest Paintings: The Ghost of Spain – Velázquez’s Las Meninas
About This Episode
Why does Diego Velázquez’ Las Meninas represent the fading Spanish Golden Age? How did he challenge the boundaries between viewer and artwork? And, in what ways does his defining style foreshadow Impressionism and serve as an indirect image of his own genius? In this new The Rest Is History Club series, Tom is joined by art critic and author Laura Cumming to discuss the histories behind famous paintings and put them in their historical contexts. FUTURE EPISODES.... Feb 18th: The Skating Minister - Henry Raeburn Feb 25th: The Angelus - Jean-François Millet _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek + Harry Swan Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude
Book Mentions
2 book mentions in this episode.
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Books Mentioned
“So that's the opening to your book, The Vanishing Man. A study of Velazquez.”
ASIN: N/A
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“The classic kind of cultural monument to that is Don Quixote, which is all about illusion and reality, the interface between what is created and what reality actually is.”
ASIN: 0142437239
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