El Greco - "The Burial of Count Orgaz" I have decided that the Mannerist style is creepy.

Looking at this painting, it seems like it can be divided into two parts: that of Heaven, and that of Earth. In Heaven, the saints (I presume?) are very stretched in some parts. The best example I can point out is the man in blue and orange standing next to Jesus. His arm is ridiculously long, and much thicker than necessary. In Earth, the robes of the priests are beautifully decorated, but the proportions of some people to others is odd. The man in the gray robe, who I suppose is the undertaker, is much larger than the person directly in front of him. This childlike person only comes to the undertaker's hips, but has barely a smaller head than several other characters in this painting, telling me she is supposed to be an adult. Yet, she simply sits there staring out to us, trying to get the attention of a priest? Trying to tell the priests that someone is watching them bury the count? Diego Rodrguez de Silva y Velzquez - "Las Meninas" This is a wonderful piece. This picture is amazingly complex, with several planes indicated by perspective. Colors are used effortlessly to show the most minute details. The people in this even seem real, almost as if it were done as a portrait. It's truly wonderful to see how well he combined such delicate shapes and colors in his brushwork. But I am curious, is the little girl towards the center supposed to be the bride? I know that in his days, young girls were often married; but this seems to be just a little too young. Girls tended to be married around their first period, which would indicate anywhere from 11-15. This girl looks 8, though! Goodness. Francisco de Zurbarn - "The Apotheosis of St. Thomas Aquinas" This composition repeats the archaic scheme of the division of knowledge in different registers, as I would expect a religious painter to portray. In the lower part, around a writing desk, you can see a group of friars to the left, and to the right, Emperor Charles V leads another group of praying figures. In the upper register, St. Thomas rules over the scene, flanked by the four most important founders of the Church. In the highest area, the four gospels are seated. And of course, the dove, pen, and book are included to ensure everyone knows this is St. Thomas Aquinas. This painting has several important figures in it, all with exceptional expressions on their faces. This is a wonderful piece.

Bartolom Esteban Murillo - "Immaculate Conception" The painting is another religious one, showing the Virgin Mary rising to Heaven to receive her child, I suppose (judging by the title of the work). She stands on a cloud, with a hint of a crescent moon under her feet, surrounded by little cherubs. Her hands are folded as if praying, and her face shows her innocence. The colors flows loosely because of the light brushstrokes, and the details presented in the figures coupled with the dark, rich colors show this to be a wonderful Baroque piece. Pablo Picasso - "Guernica" This painting is pitch black in the background (signaling a rather dark mood) and the figures represented look broken. On the top of the painting is a light bulb in the shape of an eye, possibly to represent an idea trying to reach them all? There are two animals that I can see, the bull and the horse, but I'm not sure how they would contribute to the painting. There are also depictions of the human face and various organs of the body, some of the people are already dead and others are in pain, I guess they are close to death. There are also some lines in there that look like words to me, but I couldn't find a clear enough picture to read them, if they're even words. Perhaps it's what the people of Guernica are trying to yell out during the war? (Yes, I did look up the historical context) Salvador Dali - "Persistence of Memory" This painting has been talked and theorized about for how many years now? The purpose of this painting has to do with time, obviously, but what about it? A lot of people think the painting is about how, in dreams, time doesn't matter, only your memories of the dreams do (hence the title). This theory has some evidence to support it because of how the clocks are melted, but everything else in the dreamworld is clear. But some people might say that the ants attacking one clock point towards anxiety about time. In some people's dreams, they worry about time, and this worry turns into a memory, thus immortalizing the time presented. What a conundrum. Either way, I have no idea what the white thing in the middle is.