Vermeer’s Brilliant Allegory on the Value of Art

A masterfully crafted painting rich in symbolism

The Art of Painting (1666–1668) by Johannes Vermeer. Oil on canvas. 120 × 100 cm. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Image source Wikimedia Commons

A woman stands at the far end of a room, lit by an unseen window.

She is having her portrait painted by an ostentatious-looking artist. The atmosphere is heightened by the sense of intimacy, focused on the woman’s task of remaining perfectly still for the painter.