Thursday, November 20, 2014

Girl Reading a Letter, Vermeer

       This is a painting by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. This painting was completed approximately between 1657-1659, it's an oil on canvas painting and it's dimensions are 83cm x 64.5cm. 
         
        Now this painting is at the Gemädegalerie in Dresde. But this painting before it was attributed to Vermeer in 1680 this painting was attributed to two painters, who were:
  
    -Rembrandt in 1742

    -Pieter de Hooch in 1826

          As I have already said this painting is an oil painting on canvas, the style used by Johannes Vermeer in this painting is very similar to the style used by Rembrandt in his paintings and this is why in 1742 Augustus III of Poland attributed this painting to Rembrandt.
          Apart from this, with respect to the technique Vermeer used for this painting it is very usual in Baroque Art, he used a dense brushstroke in the light, with enough impact, and  more diluted painting in the shades. Also related with the techniques he uses; he uses like Rembrandt we can observe certain visible "pentimenti" in diverses places of the picture, for example in the right angle in  the skirt of the protagonist, testifying that Vermeer changed the composition during the development of the painting.
         

          The picture shows us the corner of a room, with the presence of a woman, reading a letter opposite to an opened window. Although the woman is not in front of the view of the people it is possible to see her face thanks to the reflection of the crystals of the window. The figure occupies a small space in comparison with the total size of the painting. In the first ground a table covered by a carpet appears. This carpet and this plate with fruits are the same that we can see in other works of the same artist. 
        

        The principal simbol of this painting is the presence of the opened window, it indicates the desire of the lady to be opening to the exterior world.
       One of the most apparent pictorial features in this painting of the Baroque style in this painting is the "chiaroscuro". It consists of making effect of light on objects and prominent figures, creating a few effects promoted of lights and shades to call the attention of the people.

       To end with this project, I have to say that the importance of this painting in the history of art is that this painting represents the beginning of Pointillism.


          SOURCES


Other things I have written are said by me analyzing a little the painting.

1 comment:

Paqui Pérez Fons said...

Hello Fran,

These are my corrections to your text and my comments:

This is a painting by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. This painting was completed approximately between 1657-1659, it’ an oil on canvas painting and its dimensions are 83cm x 64.5cm.

Now this painting is at the Gemädegalerie in Dresde. But (this painting) before it was attributed to Vermeer in 1680, this painting was attributed to two painters, who were:

-Rembrandt in 1742

-Pieter de Hooch in 1826

As I have already said, this painting is an oil painting on canvas, the style used by Johannes Vermeer in this painting is very similar to the style used by Rembrandt in his paintings and this is why in 1742 Augustus III of Poland attributed this painting to Rembrandt.

Apart from this, with respect to the technique Vermeer used for this painting,it is very usual in Baroque Art, he used a dense brushstroke in the light, with enough impact (,) and more diluted painting in the shades. Also related with the techniques (he uses ;he uses like Rembrandt) we can observe certain visible "pentimenti" in diverse(s) places of the picture, for example in the right angle in the skirt of the protagonist, testifying that Vermeer changed the composition during the development of the painting.


The picture shows us the corner of a room, with the presence of a woman, reading a letter opposite to an open(ed) window. Although the woman is not in front of the view of the people, it is possible to see her face thanks to the reflection of the crystals of the window. The figure occupies a small space in comparison with the total size of the painting. In the first ground a table covered by a carpet appears. This carpet and this plate with fruits are the same that we can see in other works of the same artist.

The principal symbol of this painting is the presence of the opened window, it indicates the desire of the lady to be opening to the exterior world.

One of the most apparent pictorial features of the Baroque style in this painting is the "chiaroscuro". It consists of making effect of light on objects and prominent figures, creating a few effects promoted of lights and shades to call the attention of the people.

To end with this project, I have to say that the importance of this painting in the history of art is that this painting represents the beginning of Pointillism



You should have connected the painting with Baroque features and with painting in the LOw Countries: scenes of ordinary life, bourgeois taste... and Van Eyck's painting (the light coming from the left...). Your mark is 8.

Bye!