Johannes Vermeer - The Milkmaid [c.1660]

Johannes Vermeer - The Milkmaid [c.1660], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Vermeer's painting is understated, although the use of symbols remains: one of the Delft tiles at the foot of the wall behind the maid, near the foot warmer, depicts Cupid, which can imply arousal of a woman or simply that while she is working she is daydreaming about a man. Other amorous symbols in the painting include a wide-mouthed jug, often used as a symbol of the female anatomy. The foot warmer was often used by artists as a symbol for female sexual arousal because, when placed under a skirt, it heats the whole body below the waist. The coals enclosed inside the foot warmer could symbolise "either the heat of lust in tavern or brothel scenes, or the hidden but true burning passion of a woman for her husband", according to Serena Cant, a British art historian and lecturer. Yet the whitewashed wall and presence of milk seem to indicate that the room was a "cool kitchen" used for cooking with dairy products, such as milk and butter, so the foot warmer would have a pragmatic purpose there. Since other Dutch paintings of the period indicate that foot warmers were used when seated, its presence in the picture may symbolise the standing woman's "hardworking nature", according to Cant.

[Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam - Oil on canvas, 45.5 x 41 cm]

Johannes Vermeer - Allegory of the Catholic Faith [c.1670-72]

Johannes Vermeer - Allegory of the Catholic Faith [c.1670-72], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

One of Vermeer's most unusual pictures, this large canvas was probably commissioned by a Catholic patron. The subject was adopted from a standard handbook of iconography, Cesare Ripa's Iconologia. Vermeer interpreted Ripa's description of Faith with the "world at her feet" literally, showing a Dutch globe published in 1618. The divine world is suggested by the glass sphere hanging overhead. The painting of the Crucifixion on the wall copies a work by Jacob Jordaens. Among the several Christological symbols, the most prominent are the apple, emblem of the first sin, and the serpent (Satan) crushed by a stone (Christ, the cornerstone of the church). Dating from about 1670, the work strikes a balance between abstraction and haunting similitude.

[Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - Oil on canvas, 114.3 x 88.9 cm]

Johannes Vermeer - Woman in Blue Reading a Letter [1663-64]

Johannes Vermeer - Woman in Blue Reading a Letter [1663-64], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

During the meticulous restoration of Woman in Blue Reading a Letter (1663-64), one of the Rijksmuseum’s four Vermeer masterpieces, a number of surprising details were uncovered. Vermeer’s characteristically intense use of blue, for example, can now be viewed in all of its magnificent nuances for the first time in centuries. In addition, several pearls that were added in 1928 were removed, and other details that had disappeared were restored.

This masterpiece has undergone all kinds of treatments over the centuries that left their mark on the painting. Under the supervision of an international committee of experts, Rijksmuseum restorer Ige Verslype has restored the painting to its original condition wherever possible. Woman in Blue Reading a Letter will be on display in a special exhibition in the Rijksmuseum.

Ige Verslype: “The greatest surprise was when we discovered how Vermeer produced such an intense blue colour. We now know that he used a copper-green undercoat to give the colour extra depth. Once the yellowed glaze had been removed, this magnificent blue came back into view in all of its glorious nuances.”

[Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam - Oil on canvas, 46.5 x 38 cm]

Johannes Vermeer - Woman in Blue Reading a Letter [1663-64]

Johannes Vermeer - Woman in Blue Reading a Letter [1663-64], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

The same painting before restoration had taken place.

[Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam - Oil on canvas, 46.5 x 38 cm]

Johannes Vermeer - Young Woman with a Water Pitcher [c.1662]

Johannes Vermeer - Young Woman with a Water Pitcher [c.1662], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

This well-preserved picture of the early to mid-1660s is characteristic of Vermeer's mature style. Notwithstanding his remarkable interest in optical effects, the artist achieved a quiet balance of primary colours and simple shapes through subtle calculation and some revision during the execution of the work. The composition suits the theme of domestic tranquility, underscored by the basin and pitcher, traditional symbols of purity. This canvas was the first of thirteen paintings by Vermeer to enter the United States between 1887 and 1919.

[Metropolitan Museum of Art - Oil on canvas, 45.7 x 40.6 cm]

Johannes Vermeer - A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal [c.1670-72]

Johannes Vermeer - A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal [c.1670-72], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

The richly dressed lady playing a virginal stands in a wealthy Delft home with paintings on the wall, a marble-tiled floor, and a skirting of locally produced Delft blue and white tiles. The two paintings on the wall behind her cannot be identified with certainty, but the small landscape on the left is probably either by Jan Wijnants or Allart van Everdingen. The second painting, attributed to Caesar van Everdingen, Allart's brother, shows the motif of Cupid holding a card. This figure derives from a contemporary emblem. It may either refer to the idea of faithfulness to one lover or, in conjunction with the virginal, to the traditional association of music and love. As with most of Vermeer's work, the painting is undocumented. It is dated on stylistic grounds and on the evidence of the costume. 

[Oil on canvas, 51.7 x 45.2 cm]

Johannes Vermeer - A Young Woman Seated at a Virginal [c.1670-72]

Johannes Vermeer - A Young Woman Seated at a Virginal [c.1670-72], originally uploaded by Gandalf's Gallery.

In the left foreground rests a viola da gamba with the bow placed in between the strings. The virginal has a landscape painted on the inside of the lid, and the painting in the background is The Procuress by Dirck van Baburen (Boston, Museum of Fine Arts) or a copy of it. Whether or not the subject of The Procuress is intended to have a bearing on the meaning of the whole work is not clear. It is probable that a more general association between music and love is intended. A tapestry frames the scene at the upper left, and the skirting in the lower right is decorated with Delft tiles. 

[Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 45.5 cm]

Johannes Vermeer - The Little Street [c.1658]

Johannes Vermeer - The Little Street [c.1658], originally uploaded by Gandalf's Gallery.

In a cobblestone street are two houses with a gate opening onto the passageway between them. A woman sits in an open doorway, busy sewing; two children are playing on the stoop. Soapy water is washing down a small runnel between the paving stones - probably the woman in the passageway has just scrubbed her part of the stoop. Vermeer has recorded this everyday scene with apparent casualness. Although world-famous, not much is known about Vermeer's Little Street. In fact the original location has never been identified, and indeed may never have existed. But more significant is the atmosphere of the picture. The women are diligently employed while the children are absorbed at play. The scene emanates tranquillity and security.

In this picture the sky is cloudy and the colours are muted. Besides brown and red there are touches of blue in the sky, the garments of the woman who is furthest away, and the plant at the left. When first painted the ivy was greener, but the yellow pigment in the paint has faded. Nevertheless, the painting appears fresh, thanks to the white plasterwork. Against this, the figures stand out in pleasing contrast. At the left is Vermeer's signature - also on a white wall. The figures appear convincingly real, even though, like the bricks or the cobblestones, they are not rendered in detail.

[Oil on canvas, 54.3 x 44 cm]