The Lacemaker by Jan Johannes Vermeer. Click to enlarge
The Lacemaker is a painting by Johannes Vermeer and was executed as oil on canvas between 1669 and 1670. The dimensions are not more than 24.5 cm x 21 cm, i.e. 9.6 in x 8.3 in, what makes it actually the smallest among Vermeer’s paintings.
Description
The Lacemaker is a good example for the great amount of details Vermeer’s paintings are known for and the meticulous studies the artist used to conduct in order to get a precise representation of the pictured activities: Lacemaking was a popular activity in the Netherlands back in those times. It required quite some concentration, though, captured in the maid’s expression that seems to be completely absorbed by her work. The pale, empty wall in the background and her yellow shawl, which contrasts with her blue dress and the pillows in the foreground naturally, drives the attention of the viewer to her fingers and illustrates the high level of concentration needed for lace making.
The Lacemaker is one of the paintings which gave way to the notion that Vermeer made use of the camera obscura: The pillow’s proportions are accurate – when it comes to be compared with a photography taken from this very point of view. Yet, such accuracy was rather unusual for painters of those times, as well as the blurry foreground of the painting, which it typical for photographed pictures.
Exposition
The Lacemaker was acquired by the Louvre in Paris, which holds also The Astronomer, painted by Vermeer.
