Johannes Vermeer painted this iconic painting in 1665, almost 400 years ago, and yet it remains an iconoclastic image of modernity – adorning everything from lunch boxes to tea towels.
What was it that grabbed me about this specific painting?
This painting is so intimate. It grabs you from the moment you see it and it draws you in.
Her identity is unknown, a bit like the Mona Lisa, and her smile is just as enigmatic. This is probably in the top 5 most-famous images of all time. Why? Is it the simplicity of the image and the craft, or something deeper? Certainly Vermeer was a master of light, colour and texture – it’s a bl**dy great painting!
How does this approach inform my style?
For me, this painting makes a statement of craft. If you paint something well enough people will respond to it.
The simplicity of palette gives it such memorable impact – the yellow and blue – it’s stripped back and all the more beautiful for it.
This simplicity is complex to execute. His detail is created via glazing layer upon layer to create colour and depth that is impossible in a single application (or print). It’s luminous and creates volume that you believe.
About Johannes Vermeer
Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) was a Dutch painter who, interestingly only painted about 35 paintings in his lifetime. They all shared the same signature of realism and depth with contemplative subjects that asked questions of the viewer.
His paintings depicted every day life, but he always brought an element of intrigue and mystery to the scene. He struggled in life and died at only 43 and like Van Gogh his work only found fame after his demise. His work lives on and his influence on artists and the public only seems to grow with every passing year.
