Woman Holding a Balance was painted by Johannes Vermeer in 1664, and now sits on display in the National Gallery of Art ("Woman Holding a Balance"). I have spent a great amount of time observing this painting for the last year, and though it seems simple, I find the picture to be quite meaningful. I believe it belongs on a small, wooden wall in a dim-lit room to fully exemplify the peace that the painting expresses.
One of the first elements that I notice about this painting is its profound use of color. The yellow of the woman's dress matches the curtain in the top left and the painting behind her. The blue in her coat compliments the body of blue on the table. Vermeer's expression of yellows and blues seems to suggest balance in this piece of art, which presumably connects to the actual balance in the woman's hand.
Value is another strong component in this piece of art, and Vermeer has used it to create the essence of light and darkness in this painting. While most of the room is dimmed by shadows, it is clear that this woman is standing in the light of the window. The audience is drawn to the light on her face, which gives a serene expression and carries the emotion of the whole painting. I also cannot help but notice that the shadow on her head covering seems to be in the shape of a hand, meaning that Vermeer has used value not only to create shadows, but also to create meaningful shapes within shadows.
While color and value are used more than line to create depth in this picture, line is still used to express structure and shape ("The Visual Elements"). At close observance, there seem to be two imaginary lines that come from each corner and cross at the woman's hand. Everything in the picture comes to a vanishing point at the tips of her fingers, which draws the audience's attention to her delicate, peaceful poise.
Sources
“Woman Holding a Balance.” Art Object Page, https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.1236.html.
“The Visual Elements.” Artyfactory, www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/visual-elements/visual-elements.html.
Thats a great pickup on the shadow form on the side of her head. The shadow itself seems almost darker in shade then it should be. by which I mean that a shadow on that part of the head would seem to be lighter having picked up reflective light from the room as well as pass-through light from the fabric of the head covering. I wonder if it was a late addition or an intentional highlight on the painting.
ReplyDeleteI really like the lighting in this painting with the bright lighting coming from the window. I've noticed that having really good lighting in a scene can make it feel more realistic. It makes the whole piece feel more alive like the clothing has shape and flow.
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