A woman dressed in a blue jacket with fur trim stands serenely at a table in a corner of a room. The woman appears to be pregnant as her dress is protruding. His father Reynier was a weaver of fine cloth, which provided the family a comfortable living. Woman Holding a Balance. [8], Completed in 1662 or 1663, the painting was previously called Woman Weighing Gold before microscopic evaluation confirms that the balance in her hands is empty. Johannes Vermeer’s “Woman Holding a Balance” exhibit consists of that single art piece, which was created in 1664 with oil on canvas. I was in awe when my eyes first made contact with this beautiful painting. At one time the painting, completed 1662–1663, was known as Woman Weighing Gold, but closer evaluation has determined that the balance in her hand is empty. Image source National Gallery of Art (Open Access image) At the very centre of this painting, a woman holds a pair of weighing scales in one hand. The gesture [of holding the balance] requires precise coordination of delicate physical and mental calculations—the same capacities that Vermeer's art demanded from him. Woman Holding a Balance offers a superb example of Johannes Vermeer ’s exquisite sense of order and rhythm. The painter depicts a woman holding scales. Download a digital image of this work, Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, c. 1664, oil on canvas, Widener Collection, 1942.9.97. Nonetheless, in later years, he struggled financially, raising 11 children and also coping with the economic downturn in the 1670s after France invaded the Netherlands. While generally accepted as an allegory, Woman Holding a Balance has been interpreted in many ways. The National Gallery of Art serves the nation by welcoming all people to explore and experience art, creativity, and our shared humanity. She is likely to have required Vermeer, born a Reformed Protestant, to convert to Catholicism. vermeer: woman holding a balance This 5 page paper analyzes this painting by Jan Vermeer. At one time the painting, completed 1662–1663, was known as Woman Weighing Gold, but closer evaluation has determined that the balance … The nationalgalleryofart.gov website features an artist by the name of Johannes Vermeer. Also examined is its historical perspective of northern attitudes toward family and home. For example, the delicate hand holding the balance is placed directly in front of the frame’s dark corner, while the scales are set off against the bare plaster wall—an effect that Vermeer created by manipulating reality. No records document Vermeer’s early artistic training and apprenticeship—neither where nor with whom he trained. Lisa Vergara, "Perspectives on Women in the Art of Vermeer," 2001. Vermeer often incorporated blurred effects in his work, similar to those created by the camera obscura. C. The balance which the woman is looking at and holding is empty and implies the acquiring and maintain of a balanced life which will lead you to your final judgement. [11], The first pigment analysis of this painting by Hermann Kühn[12] revealed the use of ultramarine for the blue tablecloth and lead white for the grey wall. “Woman Holding a Balance” has so much to interpret as far as depth and space through the form and structure of the artwork. A woman dressed in a blue jacket with fur trim stands serenely at a table in a corner of a room. 6th St and Constitution Ave NW The jeweler’s balance in her right hand rests at equilibrium. In this interpretation, the mirror on the wall reflects the woman's self-knowledge. Behind the woman is a painting of the Last Judgment featuring Christ with raised, outstretched hands. Johannes Vermeer. Only such deliberation could lead to virtuous choices along the path of life. Early authors assumed that the pans of the woman's balance contained gold or pearls. Vermeer created a number of noteworthy works among which “Woman Holding a Balance” is one of the most interesting works. [4][5] To some critics who perceive her as measuring her valuables, the juxtaposition with the final judgement suggests that the woman should be focusing on the treasures of Heaven rather than those of Earth,[6] with the mirror on the wall reinforcing the vanity of her pursuits. To keep the right measure, not to be distracted by worldly pleasures and to find the inner balance - the Pearl Woman can confidently look forward to the Day of Judgment. Related Works by Vermeer in the Collection, Johannes Vermeer, A Lady Writing, c. 1665, oil on canvas, Gift of Harry Waldron Havemeyer and Horace Havemeyer, Jr., in memory of their father, Horace Havemeyer, 1962.10.1, Attributed to Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Flute, probably 1665/1675, oil on panel, Widener Collection, 1942.9.98, Johannes Vermeer, Girl with the Red Hat, c. 1665/1666, oil on panel, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.53. The painting’s subtext is reinforced by Vermeer’s refined composition and lighting. During his lifetime, he was a moderately successful provincial genre painter, recognized in Delft and The Hague. Vermeer created this piece of art as a woman holding a balance with her right hand. Click Image to view detail. Staatliche Kunstsammlungen 
Alte Meister (Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister), Dresden. B. The artist’s name was largely forgotten until the late 19th century—so much so that the iconic Girl with a Pearl Earring (Mauritshuis, The Hague) was sold for only two guilders and 30 cents in 1882. National Gallery of Art, Washington. A large painting of the Last Judgment, framed in black, hangs on the back wall of the room. Stay up to date about our exhibitions, news, programs, and special offers. Start studying Jan Vermeer, A Woman holding a Balance, 1660's. 7th St and Constitution Ave NW It is possible that the young man pictured at the left could be Vermeer’s self-portrait, although there has been no written evidence to confirm it. [1] Some art critics, including John Michael Montias who describes her as "symbolically weighing unborn souls", have seen the woman as a figure of Mary. “Woman Holding a Balance” I. c. 1664 C.E. Johannes and Catharina eventually moved into Maria’s house. The sample investigated by H. Kühn in 1968 was unfortunately taken from this extension. A. Woman Holding a Balance thus allegorically urges us to conduct our lives with temperance and moderation. center of the painting is the center of the balance. [1] The woman may have been modeled on Vermeer's wife, Catharina Vermeer. The pigment in the bright yellow curtain was identified as indian yellow. After Vermeer’s death at 43, his wife was forced to declare bankruptcy, and the works in her possession were auctioned. Woman Holding a Balance. Saint Ignatius of Loyola instructed the faithful to examine their consciences and weigh their sins as if facing Judgment Day. Practice: Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance. Woman Holding a Balance, Johannes Vermeer - AP Art History.pdf from ART 2050 at St. Johns River State College. The Art Work Comparison Artist Jan Vermeer Completed from 1662-1663 Dutch Baroque Artist was Johannes Vermeer Oil on Canvas The tenebrism that creates an extreme lighting situation and the "in the moment" scene is a characteristic of the Baroque period that the painting is from. Oil on canvas. The West Building will reopen on Friday, May 14! 4th St and Constitution Ave NW The jeweler’s balance in her right hand rests at equilibrium. References. She wears a blue winter jacket with white fur, a white head covering, and a long yellow/orange skirt. For example, he seems to have used the camera obscura, a pinhole device used to project an image onto a wall surface with a lens. In the painting, Vermeer has depicted, what discreetly appears to be a young pregnant woman holding an empty balance before a table on which stands an open jewelry box, the pearls and gold within spilling over. Johannes Vermeer is today one of the most famous European artists of all time. [3][9] The painting was among the large collection of Vermeer works sold on May 16, 1696 in Amsterdam from the estate of Jacob Dissius (1653–1695). Jan Steen, Feast of St. Nicholas. The painting that Vermeer placed in the background is “The last Judgement” by Jacob de Backer which depicts Jesus Christ in heaven with extended arms. The device exaggerated spatial effects, and the projected image was probably not sharply focused. Oil on canvas, 1662 -1664, 42.5 × 38 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Nonetheless, he produced relatively few paintings and evidently was not wealthy, leaving his wife and children in debt at his death. The woman is poised between the earthly treasures of gold and pearls and a visual … One of Vermeers most famous paintings is Woman Holding a Balance, painted in 1664 and now hanging in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. This is a religious piece of art. Dutch Painting in the Golden Age, NGA Online Editions Only such introspection could lead to virtuous choices along the path of life. Closed. The painting is of a woman holding a balance that is used for weighing objects and symbolizing justice. Woman Holding a Balance provides us not with a warning but with comfort and reassurance; it makes us feel not the vanity of life but its preciousness. Early Europe & Colonial Americas > I. Vermeer: Master of Light, the part discussing “Woman Holding a Balance”, National Gallery of Art, 2001. Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, A moment captured, slideshow, National Gallery Washington, slide 10. In Johannes Vermeer: Themes. Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch Baroque Period painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle class life. He was born and died in the city of Delft, with which he is strongly associated. Such is the case in Vermeer's Woman Holding a Balance, which shows a young woman wearing a dark blue heavy fur-lined jacket over a voluminous yellow skirt and standing before a table at a window. [14], Woman holding a balance by Johannes Vermeer, "Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance", "Johannes Vermeer, 'Woman Holding a Balance, The Ghost of Vermeer of Delft Which Can Be Used As a Table, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Woman_Holding_a_Balance&oldid=1009930504, Collections of the National Gallery of Art, Wikipedia articles with RKDID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 March 2021, at 00:47. Note that the bottom of the Last Judgment’s frame is slightly higher to the left of the woman than it is behind her back. Seen as one of the Greatest Paintings Ever, and an important work of Protestant Reformation art of the 17th century. The empty scale stresses that she is balancing spiritual rather than material considerations. In all probability, it will be gold coins or other jewels that may be seen on the table near the woman. Form: pinky is the vanishing point. Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, 1664, oil on canvas, 42.5 cm × 38 cm / 16.7″ × 15″ (National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.) Additional resources. Opinions on the theme and symbolism of the painting differ, with the woman alternatively viewed as a symbol of holiness or earthliness. Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century, Slideshow Vermeer made paintings of ladies Jan Vermeer - Woman holding a balance. A woman patiently waits for the balance in her hand to come to a rest. The woman stands between a depiction of the Last Judgment hung in a heavy black frame and a table covered with jewelry representing material possessions. The woman in the image is pregnant which creates a sense holiness to the eyes of the viewer. In April 1653 he married a Catholic, Catharina Bolnes, whose mother, Maria Thins, exerted significant influence over the couple’s lives. Woman Holding a Balance (The Goldweigher) By Jan Vermeer. "[3] Some viewers have imagined the woman is weighing her valuables, while others compare her actions to Christ's, reading parable into the pearls. The woman in the image is pregnant which creates a sense holiness to the eyes of the viewer. Recently I was commissioned to copy Woman Holding a Balance by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). In 1631, the year before Johannes was born, his father joined the St. Luke's Guild as a picture dealer. This segment analyzes the National Gallery's painting Woman Holding a Balance. Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring. 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