Metropolitan Museum of Art
1664 - 1665
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1664 - 1665
The more we live by our intellect,
the less we understand the meaning of life.
~ Leo Tolstoy
An honest man can feel no pleasure
in the exercise of power
over his fellow citizens.
~ Thomas Jefferson
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
~ Groucho Marx
* The fourth Painting mentioned in Girl With a Pearl Earring
These are all paintings of Vermeer's, but the only one that is in the Dutch Interiors exhibit at the Denver Art Museum is "A Lady Writing a Letter." I gave some of you the impression that they were all being exhibited in Denver, but such is not the case! (((-:
A woman is standing in the corner of a room. In her left hand she holds a water pitcher, with her right hand she is opening, or closing, a window. On the back wall we the corner of a large map depicting a part of Europe. In the foreground we see a part of a table and a chair. An open jewelry box is on the table. The cool sunlight, which comes through the open window, shines on the woman's beautiful cap. It is hard to say whether Vermeer had a certain deeper meaning in mind fro this painting. The jewelry box might reflect earthly matters or the vanity of the woman. The water pitcher might refer to purity. The water pitcher was used to wash oneself, to freshen up. But why does the woman look away from both items? Maybe Vermeer just painted an everyday scene, without any hidden meaning. However, the woman could be holding the water pitcher to symbolize that she has chosen purity over vanity. This would also explain why she is touching the window. By opening the window she lets the purifying light in. But what has this all to do with the large map in the background? And why don't we see the whole map? This painting raises more questions than it provides explanations. This leaves the viewer speculating about the meaning of the painting. This way the viewer can make up his/her own reality for 'Woman with a water pitcher', and perhaps this is one of the most charming qualities of Vermeer's work.