The Art of Painting (1666-1668)

by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)

This painting depicts the Dutch artist Vermeer at work in his studio. It shows him depicting a model dressed as Cilo, the muse of History. She’s holding a large history book (symbolizing learning), a trumpet (symbolizing victory), and is wearing a laurel wreath on her head, symbolizing justice and honor.

On the table lies a plaster cast of a face, symbolizing the arts. On the wall behind her is a large map of the Netherlands, representing global reach and power.

In the 17th century it became common for painters to invite people into their studios. See the chair in the foreground? It’s like Vermeer is inviting us to take a seat. Indeed, artists would often invite potential patrons to watch them work.

However, it’s unlikely that Vermeer actually worked like this. For one, a painter would never wear such expensive and fashionable clothes (slashed and striped doublets), and he would have worked in a workshop with wooden floors, not expensive tiles. Models were also rarely expected to stand with all of their props. These were usually added later. The final clue is that this painting was never sold. Art historians speculate that the image was used to advertise Vermeer’s work, as it represented him as a fashionable painter idealizing love and the Netherlands.

Above all, it’s a beautiful depiction of the artist at work. As the writer Stuart Hall observed, “rarely has a painter’s studio been so sumptuously idealized. It puts the ease into easle.”

The Art of Painting can be seen in the collection of the Kunsthistorische Museum of Vienna.

Fun fact: It is sometimes speculated that this painting is a modern reworking of the theme of St. Luke, who is supposed to have been the first to depict the Virgin Mary. Considering that Vermeer was in fact the leader of the Delft Guild of St. Luke, it’s possible that he painted himself in the guise of the saint.

Saint Luke drawing the Virgin, by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1435-40.

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Julian