A Lady Writing

A Lady Writing showcases a beautiful array of shades and texture adding to the significance of the artwork.

Johannes Vermeer's captivating artwork showcases exquisite mastery in the arts and technique that has gained him recognition as a lost artist found.

The painting illustrates a very young woman sitting against a desk and writing as she looks upon the viewer. It is interesting that the woman is taken out of her endeavour and pays tribute to the viewer looking at her. The artist has included a young woman looking directly at the viewer as witnessed in Girl Interrupted in her Music, and A Lady and Two Gentleman.

These artworks manifest a classic scene within the upper classes lifestyle, yet is altered as the female focal point looks away from the event and directly at the viewer. This act is meant to illustrate the character welcoming the presence of the viewer by acknowledging them and suggesting that they witness the viewer.

A glimpse of meta fiction occurs as the focal point within the artwork acknowledges that in fact it is a painting. The young lady writing has small features as he hair is tied in an array of braids with small white bows. She is dressed in a luxurious yellows jacket paired with a white fur collar and sleeve.

The woman's face looks towards the viewer with a gentle smile swept above her face. She holds a teal pen within her hand as she writes above a white piece of paper. A black chest is seated against the table alongside a few other books that gently blend into the dark background.

Again the artist's classic light source veers through the left side of the canvas illuminating the young girls face. Vermeer highly favoured this approach to painting as the window allowed him to have a source of light to highlight the muses face. The rest of the painting is darkened through different shades of black, creating a gloomy feel in the work.

A large black object hangs near the top left section of the wall resembling a black board for the young girl to learn.

The artist kept a dark classic background in order to bring attention to the girl in the middle of the painting. Her light attire adds a positive emotion to her character as she welcomes the gaze of the viewer. The intercut array of detail throughout the artwork makes it difficult to comprehend the artist's natural ability to paint such brilliant masterpieces.

Vermeer is best known for his portraits of women and young girls as illustrated within A Lady Writing. The artist had an amazing understanding for the use of colour against different objects that add to the scene or take away significance. His understanding is broadcasted within the painting as he uses a light yellow to draw attention to the girl as he darkens the background to not draw attention.

Vermeer had a significant longing to portray the Dutch society and the luxurious life style of the upper class. However, the common life style of the working class and the ordinary people of Netherlands also captivated Vermeer.

The artist was gifted to be able to transition his work through an array of environments and styles to add to the quality of his work. Vermeer paid a meticulous attention to detail that allowed for his work to verge on the line of incredible realism while still falling under the Dutch Golden Age.