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Art and History
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| Detail of map and chandelier from The Art of Painting |
By placing the muse of history at the center of his allegory, Vermeer
emphasized the importance of history to the visual artist. Theorists argued
that the noblest and most highly regarded form of artistic expression was
history painting, a term that encompassed biblical, mythological, and
historical subjects, as well as allegories. By creating such paintings,
artists demonstrated their knowledge and originality of thought, qualities
that raised painting to the elevated status of a liberal art. At first
sight, Vermeer's genre scenes and landscapes seem far removed from such
ideals, but he had always aimed beyond the superficial depiction of
reality, probing the essential truths of human existence. Likewise, while
this allegory was inspired by Vermeer's experiences as a practicing artist,
its allusions to learned sources and abstract ideals imbue it with a depth
and gravity consistent with history painting.
One such reference is the large map hanging on the back wall, which
draws attention to the recent history of the Netherlands.
Representing the country's seventeen provinces and its major cities, the
map was the creation of a distinguished artist, Claes Jansz. Visscher,
whose latinized name, Nicolaum Piscatorem, Vermeer clearly inscribed along
the map's upper right edge. While faithfully recording the features of the
land, the cartouches, and the text, Vermeer also took care to represent the
patina of the map and the folds and creases that had formed over time.
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Visscher's map was already outdated by the time Vermeer painted this
work. Reclamation of lands had changed the physical character of the
Netherlands, and political changes had affected its frontiers. At the
signing of the Treaty of Münster in 1648, the seventeen Dutch provinces
were officially separated into the northern seven, which became the
independent political state of the Dutch Republic, and the southern
provinces, which remained under the control of the Spanish Habsburg
dynasty. The prominent crease that runs through the center of the map
divides it, much as the recent political changes had divided the land into
two distinct entities. Directly in front of the map hangs an intricate
golden chandelier, a masterpiece of design that also alludes to the
Netherlands' recent past. Its uppermost part is decorated with an image of
a double-headed eagle, the imperial symbol of the Habsburgs.
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| Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, c. 1664, oil on canvas,
National Gallery of Art, Widener Collection |
By including the map and chandelier, Vermeer adds a symbolic level of
meaning to his image, much as he did when depicting paintings within his
paintings. For example, in Woman Holding a Balance , the woman holding the scales is located in front of a painting of the
Last Judgment, which provides a theological context for her activity. As
she prepares to weigh pearls and gold, objects arranged on the table before
her, she is aware that her judgments are temporal, whereas Christ's are
eternal. The Last Judgment thus imbues Woman Holding a
Balance with allegorical significance, conveying the message that
one should conduct one's life with temperance and balanced judgment.
With the map and chandelier, Vermeer may have wished to indicate that
the artist, through his awareness of history and his ability to paint
elevated subjects, brought fame to his native city and country. The role
artists played in enhancing the fame of their homeland and their native
city was profoundly appreciated in the Netherlands. This concept, one of
the subthemes of Giorgio Vasari's influential Lives of the
Artists, was given a northern flavor by Karel van Mander in his
Het Schilderboeck (The Book of Painting) of 1604. It also
figured in the individual histories of Dutch cities published during the
seventeenth century, including Dirck van Bleyswijck's Beschryvinge
der Stadt Delft (Description of the City of Delft), published in
1667, the very year that Vermeer executed this painting. It is appropriate
that Clio holds her trumpet, a symbol of fame, directly beneath a view of
the Hof in The Hague, the seat of government. It is also
telling that the artist has begun his painting by depicting Clio's laurel
wreath, a symbol of honor and glory.
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Bleyswijck commented that artists bring glory and distinction to their
respective cities, but he lamented that too often fame comes to them only
after death. Bound by convention to limit his praise to artists already
deceased, Bleyswijck listed Vermeer only as one of the artists active in
Delft; he did not include one word about Vermeer's work. To the reader of
this history of Delft, Vermeer remains as indistinguishable from his
contemporaries as the artist in this painting. Indeed, while Vermeer
probably depicted his artist from the rear to assert the universality of
his allegory, he may also have done so to emphasize the anonymity
experienced by the artist during his lifetime even as he brings fame and
glory to his homeland.
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