Jan Vermeer van Delft
«The Artist's Studio»

Vermeer used optical aids, such as a camera obscura, to project the image of the room onto a flat surface a process that would explain the still-life character of the scene. In «The Artists Studio» (1665/66) one looks past a parted curtain, past the intentionally oversized chair into the luminous studio of the artist. The rich dress of the painter seen from behind is strangely old-fashioned. His model poses with the attributes of Clio, the Muse of History: the laurel wreath, the trumpet and a book. Equally important to the allegory are the elements of a still life on the table: treatises on painting, a mask or sculpting study and a sketch book.
The map of the 17 provinces of the Low Countries in the back was long read as representing the Netherlands before their partition in 1581. Yet the map depicts geographical changes of the 17th century, thus representing the Netherlands at Vermeer's time. The map was later identified as one that was edited by Claes Janszon Vischer after 1635. On the left side, the Dutch Court, on the right the Court of Brussels, and on the upper part nine views of cities from the provinces are depicted.

After: Kunsthistorisches Museum: www.khm.at./saticE/

Rudolf Frieling