Not only do they have most of the attributes of Velazquez paintings, Roger: they, and here I am specifically referring to the characters in The Farmers' Lunch, are so deep in conversation that you would seem to listen to them talk against the noise in the place. There is an excellent description of the scene in Wikipedia (here).
Also this may sound exaggerated, but I believe Velazquez got his inspiration for this work from Caravaggio's most famous Emmaus - with all the differences between both paintings. Note that when Velazquez was just beginning as an artist, not only had Caravaggio died several years before but he was seen as the most famous painter in Rome, one who had revolutionized art (the first exponent of the Baroque style) and an example to follow by fellow artists both for his realism (he used common people as models for his religious works) and his dramatic use of lighting. Later on, Velazquez would develop a style we can call more his own.
Caravaggio - Cena in Emmaus
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