„The painting is unique in Velasquez' work. It was part of the Spanish court's royal collection and hung in the palace in a room which was subsequently destroyed by fire. It was dated '1656' by Velasquez' successor as court painter. It was originally called 'The Empress with her Ladies and a Dwarf'; but by the inventory of 1666, it had acquired the title of 'A Portrait of the Infanta of Spain with her Ladies In Waiting and Servants, by the Court Painter and Palace Chamberlain Diego Velasquez'. It was subsequently called Las Meninas – 'The Maids of Honour'. Some argue that the painting shows Velasquez working on Las Meninas itself and was painted with the aid of a mirror – but this now seems unlikely. The most widely held and convincing explanation is that Velasquez was working on a full-length portrait of the King and Queen, and that it is the royal couple that the princess and her attendants are looking and on them that artist's gaze appears to rest as he steps back from the canvas. The reflection artfully includes the royal couple in the picture” (Hall 1997: 56f.).