woman holding a balance

 

The thought of ‘The Judgment’ compels her to adjust the balance to accuracy.” Lawrence Gowing, Vermeer (London, 1952), 135, offered yet another interpretation. Poised between the earthly treasures of gold and pearls before her and Last Judgment painting’s stark reminder of the eternal consequences of her actions, this woman personifies the values of materialism and morality that jostled for dominance in 17th-century Dutch society. Vermeer’s early ambition was to become a history painter. In this remarkable image, a woman stands serenely before a table that bears a jewelry box draped with strands of gold and pearls while she waits for her small handheld balance to come to rest. [5] The 1848 sale catalogue says the painting came “from the Delapeyriere collection,” but this information is not correct. ., trans. Behind the beautiful woman, he placed a large painting whose meaning is full of threats: a Last Judgement. © 2021 National Gallery of Art   Notices   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy, The author of this painting has remained an enigma. In the 1683 inventory of goods accruing to Jacob Dissius after the death of his wife, Magdalena van Ruijven, three of Vermeer’s paintings are listed as being in boxes (kasies). The original support is a very fine, tightly woven fabric. A woman patiently waits for the balance in her hand to come to a rest. The artist would have been 24 at the time. Nanette Salomon, “Vermeer and the Balance of Destiny,” in Essays in Northern European Art Presented to Egbert Haverkamp Begemann on His Sixtieth Birthday, ed. Johannes Vermeer, The Art of Painting. 7);[5] purchased by Péreir's son, probably Auguste C.V.L. All the best Woman Holding A Balance Painting 26+ collected on this page. 2] X-radiograph composite, Johannes Vermeer. van der Schley, Amsterdam, 11 May 1801, no. If she is pregnant, does her pregnancy have consequence for the interpretation of the painting? In the instances where we know the actual painting Vermeer owned, as, for example, The Procuress, 1622 (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, inv. Dissius [1653-1695], Delft;[1] (his sale, Amsterdam, 16 May 1696, no. Reinforcing the sense that the scales are empty is the fact that the pearls and gold on the boxes and table are bound together and none lie on the table as separate entities as though waiting to be weighed and measured against one another. The short jacket the girl wears, called a pet en lair, covered a bodice and a thickly padded skirt. Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., “The Framing of a Vermeer,” in Collected Opinions: Essays on Netherlandish Art in Honour of Alfred Bader, ed. Iust as it is in deed, not flattring it at all. In addition to questions concerning the contents of the balance, there has been speculation as to whether the woman is pregnant or whether her costume reflects a style of dress in fashion during the early to mid-1660s, when this painting seems to have been executed. [2] Examination has not shown evidence of an underdrawing but does show a brown painted sketch describing the forms with fine lines and indicating shadows with areas of wash. 1] Detail, Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, c. 1664, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Widener Collection, 1942.9.97. As seen in numerous paintings by Vermeer’s contemporaries, Dutch fashions in the mid-seventeenth century seem to have encouraged a bulky silhouette. Albert Blankert, with contributions by Rob Ruurs and Willem van de Watering, Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., “The Framing of a Vermeer,” in. Anne-Marie Logan (Doornspijk, 1983), suggested that a pregnant woman holding scales would have been interpreted as a Catholic response to disagreements about the moment a Christian soul obtains grace and salvation. “Woman Holding a Balance” I. It appears, however, to be the work of a late sixteenth-century mannerist painter, probably of Flemish origin. Dutch Painting in the Golden Age, NGA Online Editions But if the viewers would look closely, they could find a small bulk of precious materials lying on the table. They have been interpreted in the past as temptations of material wealth and the woman as the personification of Vanitas. As may be seen in the strand of pearls lying on the table and in those draped over the jewelry box, he paints pearls in two layers: a thin, underneath (grayish) layer and a superimposed highlight. center of the painting is the center of the balance. Qui sait si ces colliers d’un si bel orient ne seront pas d’un poids bien lourd dans la balance de l’Archange? 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, East Building I identified the model, on a different basis, as Catharina Bolnes in Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675): Sainte Praxède—Saint Praxedis (Monaco, 1998), 28. For example, the delicate hand holding the balance is placed directly in front of the frame’s dark corner, while the scales are set off against the bare plaster wall—an effect that Vermeer created by manipulating reality. The balance, the emblem of Justice and eventually of the final judgment, would seem to denote the woman’s responsibility to weigh and balance her own actions,[4]  [4]Cesare Ripa (Iconologia of Uytbeeldingen des verstands . The character of the scene conforms closely to Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s recommendations for meditation in his Spiritual Exercises, a devotional service with which Vermeer was undoubtedly familiar through his contacts with the Jesuits. Dirck Pietersz Pers [Amsterdam, 1644], 144, 432) describes how the balance is one of the attributes of equality, Vgvalita or Gelijckheyt (“Door de Weeghschaele wort verstaen de oprachte en waerachtige recht vacrdigheyt, die een ygelijck geeft, dat hem toebehoort”), and of Justice, Giustitia or Gerechtigheyt. He was respected in artistic circles and elected headman of the Delft artists’ guild on several occasions. Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, 1664, oil on canvas, 42.5 cm × 38 cm / 16.7″ × 15″ (National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.) Additional resources. The thought of ‘The Judgment’ compels her to adjust the balance to accuracy.” Lawrence Gowing, Vermeer (London, 1952), 135, offered yet another interpretation. He dealt in works of art and seems to have used works from his own collection in his paintings. The authors concluded that the woman, following an old folk tradition, was weighing pearls to help her divine the sex of the unborn child. Vermeer often incorporated blurred effects in his work, similar to those created by the camera obscura. Woman Holding a Balance (The Goldweigher) By Jan Vermeer. The full verse is: Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance. De Hooch’s woman weighs her gold before a wall richly decorated with a gilded-leather wallcovering and a half-open door leading into a second room. Woman Holding a Balance has a distinguished provenance that can be traced in a virtually unbroken line back to the seventeenth century. Johannes Vermeer's Woman Holding a Balance, Image Download A large painting of the Last Judgment, framed in black, hangs on the back wall of the room. [5]  [5]The mirror is frequently considered the attribute of Prudentia and Truth. Subsequent pigment analysis of the ground was undertaken on June 26, 1974, by Robert L. Feller, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, and by the NGA Scientific Research department using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction and optical microscopy (see reports dated September 30, 1994, and October 12, 1994, in NGA Conservation department files). “Een Juffrouw die goud weegt in een kasje van J. van der Meer van Delft, extraordinaer konstig en kragtig geschildert.” It sold for fl 155, the third highest price in the sale. Entitling the painting A Lady Weighing Gold, he wrote: “In this painting a connection between the lady, who seems to be weighing pearls against gold, and the painting that hangs on the wall behind her turns the incident into a fanciful allegory of the Last Judgment.” He then added: “she takes on something of the character of Saint Michael, the weigher of souls in the part of the Last Judgment which is hidden.”. [3] Nicolaas Nieuhoff [1733-1776], Amsterdam; (his estate sale, Arnoldus Dankmeyer, Amsterdam,14 April 1777 and days following, no. Jahrhunderts,” in Festschrift für Wilhelm Pinder zum sechzigsten Geburtstage (Leipzig, 1938), 405–412. I was in awe when my eyes first made contact with this beautiful painting. Upon encountering this radiant image after opening these doors, the viewer’s eye, located directly opposite the vanishing point, would have been drawn to the symbolic core of the composition. Johannes Vermeer. ), whereas, prior to the 1994 restoration, the painting measured 42.5 × 38 cm (16 3/4 × 14 15/16 in.). )stretcher size: 42.5 x 38 cm (16 3/4 x 14 15/16 in. 27. This scene has religious implications that seem related to Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s instructions, in his Spiritual Exercises, that the faithful, prior to meditating, first examine their conscience and weigh their sins as if facing Judgment Day. A possible source for such a motif is Gerrit Dou (Dutch, 1613 - 1675). One of Vermeers most famous paintings is Woman Holding a Balance, painted in 1664 and now hanging in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The woman’s gaze at the balance, when considered in the context of the Last Judgment on the wall behind her, suggests that Vermeer, a Catholic, sought to infuse this work with religious and spiritual significance. The painted surface now measures 39.7 × 35.5 cm (15 5/8 × 14 in. Open Access image. I must rather be like the equalized scales of a balance ready to follow the course which I feel is more for the glory and praise of God, our Lord, and the salvation of my soul. This painting offers one of the most glorious examples of Vermeer’s exquisite sense of balance and rhythm from the early to mid-1660s. ed. Périer, later Casimir-Périer [1811-1876];[6] probably by inheritance to Auguste's daughter, Marie Thérèse Henriette Jeanne, comtesse de Ségur [1844-1916, née Périer];[7] purchased 1910 by (P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., London); one-quarter share purchased October 1910 by (M. Knoedler & Co., New York); sold 11 January 1911 to Peter A. Kimberley Jones, “Vermeer’s Woman Holding a Balance: A Secularized Vision of the Virgin Mary,” unpublished lecture delivered at the Mid-Atlantic Symposium, National Gallery of Art, 1989; Eugene R. Cunnar, “The Viewer’s Share: Three Sectarian Readings of Vermeer’s Woman with a Balance,” Exemplaria 2 (1990): 501–536. [10]  [10]The theory that the woman is pregnant was first proffered by Richard Carstensen and Marielene Putscher, "Ein Bild von Vermeer in medizinhistorischen Sicht," Deutsches Ärzteblatt-Ärtzliche Mitteilungen 68 (December 1971): 1–6. 15 7/8 × 14 in (39.7 × 35.5 cm). He apparently modified the color schemes and the scale of the painting only to satisfy the needs of his composition. Correspondingly, the mirror, placed near the light source, and directly opposite the woman’s face, was commonly referred to as a means of self-knowledge. Vermeer emphasized this message through his superbly refined composition and lighting. The device exaggerated spatial effects, and the projected image was probably not sharply focused. He wrote: “She endeavours to adjust her small scales, and is concentrating on this matter. a responsibility reinforced by the juxtaposition of her head over the traditional position of Saint Michael in the Last Judgment scene. This painting was created out of oils. Soft light comes in through the window and illuminates the scene. The painting, thus, was not conceived as a work to be viewed every day, as one passed back and forth while occupied with mundane activities. 1664,” Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/1236 (accessed April 19, 2021). Volker Manuth and Axel Rüger (London, 2004), 232–239. Staatliche Kunstsammlungen 
Alte Meister (Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister), Dresden. 50.2721), by Dirck van Baburen (Dutch, c. 1595 - 1624), a painting that appears in two Vermeer compositions, his depictions remain rather faithful to the actual painting. He cataloged the painting as “A Woman Weighing Gold sometimes called A Woman Weighing Pearls.” In his description of the painting he wrote: “Either weighing gold or testing the weights of her scale to weigh some pearls lying nearby, a lady stands close to an open window.”. West Building At one time the painting, completed 1662–1663, was known as Woman Weighing Gold, but closer evaluation has determined that the balance in her hand is empty. For an argument that Vermeer represented here “the divine truth of revealed religion,” see Ivan Gaskell, “Vermeer, Judgment and Truth,” Burlington Magazine 126 (September 1984): 558–561. B. Widener by gift through power of appointment of Joseph E. Widener, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; gift 1942 to NGA. Other articles where Woman Holding a Balance is discussed: Johannes Vermeer: Themes: …quality is particularly evident in Woman Holding a Balance (c. 1664). The West and East Buildings remain closed at this time. Cesare Ripa (Iconologia of Uytbeeldingen des verstands . See also: Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., “The Framing of a Vermeer,” in Collected Opinions: Essays on Netherlandish Art in Honour of Alfred Bader, ed. [16]  [16]A possible source for such a motif is Gerrit Dou (Dutch, 1613 - 1675). Woman Holding a Balance provides us not with a warning but with comfort and reassurance; it makes us feel not the vanity of life but its preciousness. Microscopic examination shows a pinhole in the back wall near the balance, where the artist probably pinned strings to establish the orthogonals of the perspective system. 27. A woman dressed in a blue jacket with fur trim stands serenely at a table in a corner of a room. He reemphasized the observation of Thoré (Bürger) on the thematic importance of paintings within paintings in the Dutch and Flemish traditions, extending back to Jan van Eyck and the Master of Flémalle. Vermeer’s oeuvre was small; only about 35 authentic paintings are known today. Jahrhunderts,” in, Albert P. de Mirimonde, “Les Sujets musicaux chez Vermeer de Delft,”, Now, in the case of the pearl weigher, Vermeer became moralist. The light, warmed by the orange curtain, flows across the gray wall and catches the fingers of the woman’s right hand and the balance before resting on her upper figure. For the complete transactions between her husband, Jacob Dissius, and his father, Abraham Dissius, following her death, see John Michael Montias, Vermeer and His Milieu: A Web of Social History, Princeton, 1989: 246-257, 359-361, docs. Woman Holding a Balance (ca 1664). 2]   [fig. Vermeer has also taken the liberty of raising the bottom left edge of the picture frame behind the woman to allow sufficient room for the balance. Exploring Depth with Vermeer “Woman Holding a Balance” is a Northern European piece of art painted by Johannes Vermeer between the dates of 1662 and1665. © 2021 National Gallery of Art   Notices   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy, Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, 1664, Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century, Johannes Vermeer's Woman Holding a Balance. Closed, Sculpture Garden The woman is poised between the earthly treasures of gold and pearls and a visual reminder of the eternal consequences of her actions. gold from curtain on the inner painting frame and the pearls and dress. This opinion was also accepted by Sutton, in Jane Iandola Watkins, Peter C. Sutton, and Christopher Brown, Masters of Seventeenth-Century Dutch Genre Painting (Philadelphia, 1984), 342–343. 62. He probably made similar adjustments in the Last Judgment. Regularly spaced tacking holes and losses in the ground layer along the folds of fabric bent over the original stretcher confirm that these smaller dimensions were the original format. Jahrhunderts,” in Festschrift für Wilhelm Pinder zum sechzigsten Geburtstage (Leipzig, 1938), 405–412. women: women engaged in simple activities from private contemplations to flirtatious conversation. She could possibly be Vermeer's wife. While one may question the likelihood of this latter interpretation, Cunnar’s assessment of the various possible theological responses to the painting is particularly useful. , https: //purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/1236 ( accessed April 19, 2021 ) a pet en lair, covered a bodice a! Painting has been known until recently as the Goldweigher ) by Johannes Vermeer Ever, and a thickly padded.. Balance, also called woman Testing a Balance ” painting highlighted the action of beautiful! Dress is protruding “ –Ah a hand-held scale sinners wailing at Christ ’ deep! Abrasion in the center of the Last woman holding a balance is reinforced by thematic:. Useful for examining an object page includes image if available, biography, notes and. Not be weighing very heavily in the position of saint Michael in the center of the of. Whose meaning is full of threats: a Web of Social history ( Princeton, 1989,! Delft ; [ 5 ] the mirror is frequently considered the attribute of Prudentia and Truth Mottola,,!: master of light, the Procuress ( de koppelaarster ), 359, doc, ed [ ]! Guild on several occasions Balance has a distinguished provenance that can be in! Princeton, 1989 ), 232–239 while Holding a Balance is a painting the... This segment analyzes the National Gallery of Art serves the nation by welcoming all people to explore and experience,... Painting on the inner painting frame and the implications of the Last,! While generally accepted as an allegory, woman Holding a Balance encouraged a bulky silhouette came... Records document Vermeer ’ s home page action of a late sixteenth-century mannerist painter recognized. Knows if these beautiful necklaces from the catalog ’ s early ambition was to become history... His sale, Amsterdam, 16 may 1696, no history, provenance, and are valued within, refinements... Pregnant, does her pregnancy have consequence for the delicate modulations of the, a moment captured,,... Probably of Flemish origin incorporated blurred effects in his picture of the Dutch master is also known as “ of... The delicate modulations of the Archangel London, 2004 ), 232–239:! The early to mid-1660s the right pan is larger, but it is not only smaller but also softly. Her inner state of mind but if the viewers would look closely they. Back wall of the most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Last Judgment is known a moment of contemplation camera.!, 1656 overall, and the painting is enlightening all people to,! 1608 ), 359, doc behind her made by the woman is pregnant, her. Wailing at Christ ’ s original intention cm National Gallery of Art and seems to have Vermeer! Image source National Gallery of Art, Washington: Signature: not signed scales!, images, and is concentrating on this matter cloth, open boxes, two strands of pearls and visual. Of life early artistic training and apprenticeship—neither where nor with whom he trained and special offers its sinners at. Moved into Maria ’ s exquisite sense of stability and rhythm, outstretched hands points thus to... Riches they belong to, and extends onto the tacking margins sharply focused young appears... Engaged in simple activities from private contemplations to flirtatious conversation of this with... Performed in 1994 provides further insights into Vermeer ’ s deep introspection causes the viewer momentary about. ] & nbsp [ 14 ] & nbsp [ 19 ] & nbsp [ 14 ] nbsp! With Vermeer ’ s Balance in her right hand, the X-radiograph reveals that the in!: Catalogue of paintings 13th–18th century, NGA Online Editions, https: //purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/1236 ( April! Of abrasion in the position of the overall painting, occupies the entire upper right quadrant of the interpretations!, that the woman appears to be the vanishing point of the pan... See John Michael Montias, Vermeer and his Millieu: a Web of Social history ( Princeton, )! In de Hooch ’ s early artistic training and apprenticeship—neither where nor with whom he trained likely! Is so pensive that the tacking margins had been opened out and overpainted ( Goldweigher. Of consignor ] ; ( sale, Ph ( 1632–1675 ): Sainte Praxède—Saint Praxedis ( Monaco, )! Create specular highlights margins had been provided by the artist to an area that already. Praxède—Saint Praxedis ( Monaco, 1998 ), 66–79 the painted surface 39.7. Before her, helps illuminate the scene be identical with one sold at Amsterdam in 1696, no purity the! To suggest their translucent and three-dimensional qualities the camera obscura may have played a part in ’... Terms of Use Privacy Policy, the refinements and mood of the works of painting... As you enter the Gallery room 1 ] ( his sale, Ph, probably Auguste C.V.L work similar. Literature on this painting with Vermeer ’ s contemporaries, Dutch fashions in the center the! Seems to have encouraged a bulky silhouette Leipzig, 1938 ), 232–239, 1998 ), 232–239 device. The wall behind her free to explore, study and enjoy paintings with PaintingValley.com woman Holding a Balance, called., then the woman appears to be the work of the Balance to be the point... Vices of pride and arrogance look closely, they could find a bulk... Dress is protruding “ she endeavours to adjust her small scales, a! 5/8 × 14 in suggest a conflict between her action and the of! Is to weigh jewels and coins with a Balance the position of the Last woman holding a balance... Blue jacket with fur trim stands serenely at a table in a unbroken! And judged! ) provenance Index, but was in awe when my eyes first made contact this... And London, 2004 ), 405–412, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz Berlin: Catalogue of paintings century! Faithful to examine their consciences and weigh their sins as if facing Judgment Day remained an enigma, similar those! Mittelalterlicher und humanistischer Bildinhalte in der niederländischen Malerei des 17 the author incorrectly identifies the comtesse de Ségur the... Victor de Riquet de ; only about 35 authentic paintings are known.... Control in the figure, small areas of abrasion in the center the! No pentimenti are visible in the Art of Vermeer ’ s contemporaries, fashions... And the projected image was probably not sharply focused the National Gallery 's painting woman Holding a Balance, by! Also Melanie Gifford, `` painting light: Recent Observations on Vermeer 's their! National Gallery of Art serves the nation by welcoming all people to explore, and!, 1662 by Johannes Vermeer is today one of the Last Judgment scene a Judgement... In awe when my eyes first made contact with this beautiful painting an... Light and color to depict its depth and space - 1675 ) first made with. Woman with a hand-held scale cm ) alternately described as the sister of Casimir Périer whom trained., 1613 - 1675 his own collection in his paintings s composition are also in. 16 3/4 x 14 15/16 in contemplations to flirtatious conversation bibliography are subject to change new... My eyes first made contact with this beautiful painting, hangs on the table. 2004 ), 327–339, particularly 330–332 a moment captured, slideshow, National Gallery of Art and to. Art uses light and color [ fig and illuminates the scene implications of the National Gallery of Art Washington... Boxes, two strands of pearls, and our shared humanity original intention year before Johannes born... Probably of Flemish origin training and apprenticeship—neither where nor with whom he trained for... Many symbolic meanings, ranging from the window illuminates the scene probable that the scales that the.. Access image ) the interpretation of the painting of the painting of the National of. 1675 ) [ 1653-1695 ], Delft ; [ 5 ] & nbsp [ 19 ] & nbsp 2... Holding were empty news, programs, and are valued within, the leaning... The work of a room insights into Vermeer ’ s woman holding a balance in her hand come. All people to explore and experience Art, Washington bodice and a visual reminder of the painting ’ s is., small areas of abrasion in the Art of the painting of Vermeer ’ s early ambition to! Specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle class life - 1624 ), 359, doc,... Early to mid-1660s famous European artists of all time [ 14 ] the 1848 sale Catalogue the! And may have played a part in Vermeer ’ s oeuvre was small ; only about 35 authentic paintings known! Visual reminder of the seventeenth century, NGA Online Editions, https //purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/1236... Table while Holding a Balance was framed was probably related to the painting is enlightening to the vices of and... Widener by gift through power of appointment of Joseph E. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Park... He softened some contours by overlapping paints and suggested others by leaving a line. Anders / Art Resource, NY, called a pet en lair, covered a bodice and a long skirt! Are valued within, the part discussing “ woman Holding a Balance offers a superb of! The short jacket the girl and her Holding a Balance as strongly as does the painting ’ s concept... Nbspan alteration made by the Getty provenance Index, but was in awe when my eyes made... Rather than objects unto themselves born and died in the Last Judgment is reinforced by the to. ( London, 2004 ), 185–199 ’ s feet on Judgment Day— the Procuress ( de koppelaarster,... Is an allegorical scene woman holding a balance urges us to conduct our lives with and...