Las hilanderas, o La fábula de Aracne Diego Rodriguez De Silva y Velazquez (1599-1660)

The Spinners or The Fable of Arachne by Diego Velázquez depicts a scene inside a tapestry workshop. In the foreground, several women are actively engaged in spinning wool. One woman on the left, dressed in dark clothing and a white ruff, sits at a spinning wheel, her face partially obscured. To her right, another woman in a red skirt is also spinning. In the center, a young woman in a blue dress is bent over, her face turned away from the viewer.
The background reveals the main subject of the painting: the creation of a tapestry. A large, partially completed tapestry hangs on the wall, depicting mythological figures in a dynamic scene. A woman on the right, illuminated more brightly, appears to be the focal point, possibly representing Arachne from the titular fable. She is shown from behind, her skilled hands at work on the loom, her bare feet a striking detail. To her right, another woman is visible, also working on the tapestry. The overall atmosphere is one of industrious activity and artistic creation.
The subtext of the painting is rich and multifaceted. It is most famously interpreted as an allegory for the superior status of painting compared to other crafts, particularly weaving and spinning. The fable of Arachne, a mortal weaver who dared to challenge the goddess Minerva to a weaving contest and was transformed into a spider, serves as the underlying narrative. In Velázquezs interpretation, the skilled figure in the background (presumably Arachne) is portrayed as a master artist, engaged in the creation of a grand tapestry that rivals the mythological scene it depicts. This elevates the craft of weaving to a high art.
However, the painting also functions as a defense of the nobility of art itself. By depicting artists – or those involved in artistic production – working with dedication and skill, Velázquez implicitly argues for the intellectual and societal value of their work, moving away from the perception of artistic activity as mere manual labor. The contrast between the different figures, their ages, and their attire might also suggest different levels of skill and dedication, with the skilled artist in the background emerging as the true protagonist. The presence of a spindle and wool in the foreground, and the mythological scene in the background on the tapestry suggests a comparison between manual labor and artistic creation, with painting implicitly favored.