How to Read Paintings: Young Woman with a Water Jug by Johannes Vermeer

A captivating exploration of light by the Dutch master

Young Woman with a Water Jug (1660–1662) by Johannes Vermeer. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image source Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

This painting, made by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer in around 1662, shows a woman stood beside a window. It is most likely morning; her day begins with collecting water in a silver pitcher and basin with which she will wash herself.