José Antolínez, Metapainting and the Painting Profession in Golden Age Spain 1

José Antolínez’s Studio Scene (c. 1670) is an unusual picture. While the scene is set in an artist’s studio, the identity of the two characters in the picture, and their role within it, is still contested. This chapter will argue that some of the meanings behind the picture stem from the artist’s wish to condemn certain aspects of contemporary painting, in particular those painters who lack ingenuity. It is hoped that this new analysis will shed more light on Golden Age pictorial strategies and the social standing of painters at the time.