What Jan Vermeer encrypted in his favorite painting: The Hidden Symbols of the Allegory of Painting

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In the 17th century, self-portraits of artists were commonplace. Craftsmen often painted their own images and reflected the interiors of their workshops. The famous Jan Vermeer, a significant figure in the Dutch Golden Age of Art, was no exception. However, his self-portrait is very peculiar and hides a lot of interesting things!

Self-portrait

"Allegory of Painting" (or "Artist's Workshop") is a famous genre painting by the Delft artist Jan Vermeer, which is a large-scale allegory of the art of painting, as well as a self-portrait of the artist himself. It is believed to be the largest example of Dutch realism. In "Allegory of Painting" the artist showed himself from behind. And since there are no other genuine portraits of Vermeer, we never know what one of the best painters in the world looked like. Surely, the artist hid his face for a reason. Thus, Vermeer focuses directly on his studio, interior and related elements. And they, by the way, are extremely curious. With his painting, Vermeer decided to convey to us the allegory of his craft.

Vermeer's favorite interior

The premise is a living room. Indeed, except for the machine with the canvas, the brush in the right hand and the canvas, we would not have immediately guessed that this room is the artist's workshop. The living studio is much more elegant than a typical artist's studio, with a gold chandelier, exquisite furnishings, expensive marble tiles, and so on. Of course, this is the artist's own dwelling - a large house in Delft, which Vermeer has repeatedly depicted in his canvases. He moved there in about 1657 when he married Katharina Bolnes. Vermeer continues to preserve his favorite interior details in this picture: the room itself is very similar to the rooms on other canvases. All the same tiles, maps on the wall, woven fabrics, etc. The decoration of the golden chandelier is the double-headed eagle, the official symbol of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty, the former rulers of Holland. The chandelier is believed to represent Catholicism, and the lack of candles in it is a reference to its suppression in the Protestant environment. The rest of the studio's luxurious furnishings and elements symbolize material prosperity. The “theatrical” quality of the plot is deliberately accentuated by a bright curtain that unfolds on the left, as if showing a scene. Outside the ajar curtain is a brightly lit studio in which the artist paints a portrait of the model.

The heroine of the workshop

The main character is, of course, a woman. The painting depicts the moment when the artist is just about to apply the heroine's wreath to the canvas. The wreath, horn and book are attributes of the muse of history, Clio, one of nine personifications of the highest standards of art and philosophy in Greek mythology.

The map is an important part of the interior

There is a large map on the wall in the back of the room. Reliefs, folds and even imperfections of the geographical canvas are masterfully rendered. By the way, the map shows the territory of the old Netherlands. The exact image should not be surprising, the artist painted from life. A copy of this painting from 1635 was found in the National Library. Thus, the geographical map testifies both to the wealth of the owner, as well as to the patriotic feelings of the artist. And judging by the scale of the map in relation to the size of the painting, it was important for Vermeer to convey the idea of himself as a Dutch artist.

Color palette and magic light

Pay attention to the bright spots in the picture - yellow (book) and blue (heroine's attire). These are Vermeer's favorite colors! On almost all canvases you can see yellow jackets, books and blue canvases, carpets, clothes. By the way, as it was proved by researchers of Vermeer's paintings, he used the expensive blue pigment at that time - ultramarine, which was (and remains) one of the most expensive color pigments in the world. How the artist managed to finance the lavish use of ultramarine - especially after the crisis of 1672 - remains a mystery. The year 1672 in the history of the Netherlands is a year of misfortune. This year the Republic of the United Provinces was attacked by England, France, Münster and Cologne. The invaders defeated the Dutch army and conquered most of the republic. Let's go back to the room and pay attention to the light. The room is illuminated from the left through a window that is not visible to the viewer. The light falls deeply on the heroine's face, the corner of the table, part of the wall and the yellow book in the girl's hands. Vermeer's light floods almost all of the artist's paintings, making the interiors incredibly calm and serene. It is not for nothing that the artist was called the "wizard of light".

Still life and the main idea of Vermeer

The objects on the table, as is often the case with Vermeer, convey the artist's message. A notebook with sketches is the art of painting, a plaster bust is a sculpture, a book conveys to us the value of a plot and meaning, fabrics are an important decor for the success of a painting. A number of art critics see in this still life a deeper meaning, for example, a reminder of the guild of St. Luke. This is a community of artists, sculptors, carpet makers, book printers, etc. Thus, Vermeer's self-portrait may well be considered an allegory of artistic crafts. In fact, the painting can also be assessed as Vermeer's answer to the eternal question that continues to be discussed by artists, sculptors and writers. What role does the artist play in modern society? Is he a master equal to carpenters, masons and jewelers, or creative thinkers, poets, architects, engineers and philosophers? Vermeer's answer through the prism of his famous painting is that painting is equal to any other art, since it is capable of representing all possible visual ideas and illusions what it sees with depth and color.

Why is the canvas considered exceptional in Vermeer's work?

The Allegory of Painting is one of the few paintings that remained in the possession of the Vermeer family until the artist's death. And even in the crisis years of economic difficulties and lack of money, the family tried to preserve this painting, which indicates its special value. In November 1940, the canvas was purchased by Adolf Hitler from its owner Count Jaromir Chernin at a price of 1.65 million Reichsmarks (the currency of the Third Reich). After the war, American troops found Hitler's treasures, which gave the canvas to the Austrian government. Currently, Vermeer's painting is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. "Allegory of Painting" - the largest painting by Vermeer (120 × 100 cm) is considered, among other things, the most favorite work of the artist.