The 1656 Spanish Baroque painting Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez recurs throughout the novel as a symbol for the vanity of humankind. Shaun struggles to make sense of the painting during his time in space. Although the question of its meaning was posed to him as a student, its relevance did not become clear to him until the events of the novel. On the other hand, the lecture made a strong impression on his wife, who was his classmate when they were children. She has replicated the content of the lecture on a postcard of Las Meninas for him.

Per the lecture, Shaun believes that if he can identify the subject of the painting, he can make sense of what it really means. Pietro identifies that the dog is the subject of the painting because it is the only figure in the scene who isn’t looking at anyone, nor is it attempting to draw anyone’s attention. It is free from what Shaun refers to as the “matrix of vanities” occurring in the painting (160). All the human figures, on the other hand, are either trying to call attention to themselves or insist on devoting their attention to others.