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Why Everything Hangs in the Balance in this Vermeer Painting
The delicate art of measuring life’s true value
Johannes Vermeer was a master of blending meticulous depiction with finely-spun symbolism.
In an image like this one, Woman Holding a Balance, we are firmly anchored in the reality, yet the dimmed light tells us there’s much more going on.
Usually in a Vermeer painting, the light streams in through the window, but this time the outside shutters are closed and a drawn yellow curtain limits the light allowed to enter.
The hushed illumination singles out the woman, picking out the edges of her white cap and fur-trimmed jacket. The dimmed setting and the partial shadow over her face hint at an introspective quality, suggesting an inner world or private thoughts.
In other words, the low-level lighting invites the viewer to look beyond the surface, suggesting the painting holds a deeper, allegorical meaning open to interpretation…
More than money and jewellery
