January 10, 2012

Johannes Vermeer's "Officer with a Laughing Girl"

Nationality: Dutch
Born-Died: 1632-1675

Creation Date: c. 1657
Size: 19.875 × 18.125 inch (50.48 × 46.04 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: The Frick Collection, New York City, New York, USA

Every time I go to New York I spend all my time at the Met and I never get to see the other great art collections there.  However, I am hopefully going back in July so I'm considering making a point to visit the Frick.




1 comment:

  1. This is a bizarre piece. It's not just me, right? Don't get me wrong, I don't not like it. I just mean.... this is 1657, and this is a VERY naturalistic painting! It's not a royal or lordly figure, looking off into middle distance. It isn't a god fighting or romancing. It's not a war. It's... a girl, in fairly nice clothing, expressing casual jolity (not religious serenity or cherubic joy), with an Officer, as they sit by an opening window, on what seems like a nice day. There's a (then) state-of-the-art map in the background, suggesting this is the house of someone very interested in trade... so in a sense it could fall into the category of 'Paintings for (relatively) rich people about (relatively) rich people)'... but, it's not *about* their wealth, but about two people enjoying each other's company, in some very well commanded lighting.

    That all just strikes me as... very peculiar!

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