The two paintings

As we have been asked to focus mainly on these two paintings by Vermeer, I have decided to initially look at them in some detail.



Woman with a Lute (1664)

I think it's very important to firstly see the quality of these paintings, as it is staggering, as is the realism they create in depicting a scene. The colours in Woman with a Lute are really dark, yet look very realistic and accurate to what they would have been. The light cast on the woman's face is very well done, and must have been particularly difficult to do, but what I'm really drawn to within the image is the composition and arrangement of objects. I think that everything must have been arranged for a reason and thought out so as to have meaning.




Girl reading a letter at an open window (1657)

For me, this is by far the superior painting of the two, and there is much more in it that I like. The reflection of the girls face on the window looks amazing! It must have been incredibly difficult to capture with paint and a brush. What's interesting within the painting is the fact that Vermeer has almost created a second frame; a frame within the frame, which is made up by the curtain and the overhead rail. I'm not sure what that is intended for, nor am I sure what he is trying to convey with his paintings. Could it be just capturing a stillness? Or perhaps just a meaningless moment in time?
I'm not sure, so looking at more of his work should be something I need to do, so as to grasp a more clear understanding.