Water Pitcher

845 Words4 Pages
Throughout his artistic career Johannes Vermeer has presented his audience with seemingly mundane subject matter. However, upon further inspection these genre paintings have sparked intrigue throughout the centuries. Working slowly and with great passion, Vermeer adopted specific elements and techniques that can be seen throughout his other pieces of work. Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, completed in 1662 by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer delves into an intimate interior. Measuring out at 18x16 inches in dimension the oil on canvas paintings focal point is a female figure, dressed in blue and gold attire, with her head and shoulders covered by white fabric headpiece. The figures wardrobe would be a clear identifier of her status to those…show more content…
This is suggested through the jewelry box because it is open with pieces of jewelry peaking out over the edge. This also shows that she has a fair accumulation of personal material wealth. Beyond the table a chair can be seen with a blue object draped over it. Above the chair, on the wall behind the figure, a map hangs. Were maps a common item found in Dutch homes or was this object another piece of luxury? If so does this suggest worldliness and intelligence as well? The map leads the viewer’s eyes back to the female figure. On the other side of the figure, where her focus is, she holds open the window and a light source can be located. From the window the light shinning in creates a triangle composition between the window, the map and the pitcher. The light source helps centralize the piece and brings the audience’s gaze to the girl as the focal point. The position of the figure is locked in this intimate space by the repetitive shapes of the window, the table, the map and the chair. These shapes and placement give the piece a very controlled composition. It is this moment, one of both physicality and internal thought captured in time that balance this controlled

More about Water Pitcher

Open Document