The Milkmaid ranks among Johannes Vermeer’s best known works. It is known for its ample depiction and also for multiple interpretations viewers and critics make, which ranges from pragmatic views to theoretical meanings. The painting origins from the 17th century of Dutch Golden Age. The Subject The subject of the painting is a Milkmaid pouring fresh milk in a bowl. Though, in the 17th century Dutch people didn’t have special Milkmaids. They were called “Kitchen maids” or ‘maid of all works’. Such maids were subject to do all types of works necessary in the kitchen or house. Also, such kitchen maids were also predisposed for love and sex. It wasn’t unapproved in society. The Milkmaid Analysis Vermeer has depicted the scene and the woman with […]
Pentimento Archive
A well-known painting by the Dutch artist Jan van Eyck for the breath-taking depiction and also for the hidden “Easter egg.” The painting is of the Italian merchant Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife, also commissioned by him to portray his marriage. The genre or the painting has been called as Double portrait or sometimes as the primitive genre painting after renaissance as it depicted a marriage – a real life, “normal” incident. The room is presumed to be merchant’s own house in Bruges. The dog at their feet is the early breed of today’s Griffon Bruxellois. The Arnolfini Wedding Analysis Most historians take the double portrait as the wedding scene or the representation of their marriage. There are some alleged proofs to support this claim. […]
Lady with an Ermine is one of the four ladies painted by Leonardo, other three being Mona Lisa, La belle ferronnière and Ginevra de’ Benci. The Lady with an Ermine has segments of Pentimento as by radiography. A window has been detected on the upper right side, which was deleted later on by the artist. The painting consist some work called “Moti Mentali” meaning mental emotions. The term was mostly referred to Leonardo’s work and means the artist’s ability to depict the real mental thoughts, emotions and disposition of the subject on his/her face. That’s the painting has been described as “signaling a breakthrough in the art of psychological portraiture.” Another noticeable element is artist’s little use of his well-known style of Sfumato around the subject’s […]