Vermeer's Women

Vermeer1
Woman in Blue Reading a Letter, c. 1662-1665
oil on canvas
18 1/4 x 15 3/8 in. (46.5 x 39 cm.)
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam


The composition of Woman in Blue Reading a Letter  is strikingly similar to that of A Lady Writing. In both, a woman's body faces an unseen light source as she partakes in an activity. Chairs sit behind and around her, a map/artwork hangs on the far wall. Vermeer's typical blue shows up, as does the special lighting one comes to recognize as Vermeer's. Many of the women Vermeer paints are in this same basic position, in the same color garments, in similar interior settings. Like The Milkmaid, this woman is entranced in her activity, though it is probably not an incredibly important one, though the reader will never know what kind of letter she reads here. This sense of mystery harkens back to most of the Vermeer paintings, and specifically A Lady Writing. 

Johannes Vermeer 2
Woman Holding a Balance, c. 1664
National Gallery of Art
Widener Collection


Again, this same composition is referenced in Vermeer's other work. The light from the left, woman highlighted in the center-right, engaged in a task. Humble and quiet, Vermeer captures a silent moment in which the viewer cannot tell exactly what the woman thinks while she holds the balance. The painting behind her is obscured, the "so-called picture-within-a-picture that appears on the back wall portrays a Last Judgment," (Janson3) by an unknown artist. The woman's pregnant body references Mary, as the ray of sunshine hits her belly and chest, creating an eerie, heavenly highlight, referencing the immaculate conception. 

Vermeer4
Woman With a Pearl Necklace
c. 1664
oil on canvas
21 5/8 x 17 3/4 in. (55 x 45 cm.)
Staatliche Museen Preußischer
Kulturbesitz, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin


In this painting, the woman wears the same treasured yellow and fur jacket that Vermeer paints in A Lady Writing. This time, though, the woman is unaware of the audience, staring into the mirror at herself, primping and putting on a beautiful pearl necklace. With the signature intensity of Vermeer's womens' stares, she concentrates on her reflection, but again with a contemplative, meditative stare. The woman painted looks remarkably similar to the woman in A Lady Writing, as well. Interestingly, the girl is painted in full profile, which is not too common for Vermeer to paint. 




1 Janson, Jonathon. "WOMAN IN BLUE READING A LETTER by Johannes Vermeer."Essential Vermeer. Web. 8 May 2011. <http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/woman_in_blue_reading_a_letter.html>.
2 "NGA | Vermeer | Woman Holding a Balance | A Moment Captured." National Gallery of Art. Web. 8 May 2011. <http://www.nga.gov/feature/vermeer/moment1.shtm>.
3 Janson, Jonathon. "WOMAN HOLDING A BALANCE by Johannes Vermeer." Essential Vermeer. Web. 8 May 2011. <http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/woman_holding_a_balance.html>.
4Web Gallery of Art, Image Collection, Virtual Museum, Searchable Database of European Fine Arts (1000-1850). Web. 8 May 2011. <http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/v/vermeer/03a/19woman.html>.