Yes, It's hard to get used to the Cupid. I am not sure if I ever will. But it's still Vermeer all over. At the Amsterdam Vermeer exhibit, there was always crowd around the picture, so I have the idea that it may be a favorite of a lot of people. It's a masterwork. BTW, did you know that the restoration staff found a layer of final varnish on the Cupid which was most likely applied by Vermeer himself. Such old varnishes are almost unheard of in paintings centuries old. The restoration team left it intact so future generations could decide to remove it or not. It has one downside. It has aged very much and gives the Cupid a deep orange tone. So if you remove it, the Cupid would probably integrate better into the picture.
Really, I never though I might be capable of "blessing" others (hope that's a figure of speech), but I take your compliment with pleasure. Thanks. Long live our hero.
@@essentialvermeer It is indeed a figure of speech. Canadian from Vancouver here. British English speaker. I did not know that the darkness in A Maid Asleep was from a varnish slowly failing. I always surmised that the moody shadow was intended. Makes the painting stand out in Jan's oeuvre in my opinion. I have been making lots of copies of various masters. I recently discovered The Pre-Raphealite Brotherhood, Edwin Austin Abbey in particular. His Hamlet painting is excellent study fuel. I have been designing my own Dutch Ripple frames (the same black ones that house Lady with a Scale, and Girl with a Flute. Hoping to make some Vermeer replicas in the near future. Your videos are inspirational.
This is one of the three Vermeers I saw for the first time a couple of days ago at the Rijksmuseum, so of course didn't see the pre-restoration version. However, I certainly feel it looks better with the cupid! Still buzzing from my visit, totally worth travelling over from London for this exhibition.
Great video! I am convinced it was the right decision to uncover him, but one thing that makes this particular Cupid seem especially ungainly to me is the relative scale of his figure compared to what we see of the girl’s figure. They take up about the same amount of visual space. The Cupid in the Lady Standing at a Virginal is prominent but still appears toddler-sized compared to the Lady. One could imagine her carrying him on her hip. Not so with the Girl and her recently-uncovered Cupid. Another slightly unnerving thing is that he is looking directly at us while the Girl is not, making his presence even more dominant (unlike in Lady Standing where they are both looking out at us). That said, I’m getting used to it, and I did always feel that the height of the painting with the vast amount of empty space above the girl was a little odd. I see the Cupid as if he is drawing aside the curtain. Look forward to more in this series, thanks!
Your observations are spot on. Thanks. I would have used them in the video had I thought of them myself, especially the one about the Dresden girl's oblique gaze. Even though Vermeer was still sorting out things, it's still an amazingly powerful work of art. I wonder if Vermeer intentionally covered the Cupids' hand holding the card with a Roman numeral one. I am surprised no art historian has picked up that. But maybe I haven't red everything. I have another one almost complete, but will have to postpone it to early April.
Although I had seen it after the restoration in Dresden, it was even more impressive in Amsterdam, one of the show's stars. Yes, the Astronomer is in dire need of a cleaning, the Lacemaker suffers too. It was ruined by the incredibly black coffin-like frame in the Amsterdam show. But I think it was the French who put it on, and Amsterdam couldn't find another one for the show that might fit. It was the only real soar spot in the exhibit.
Yes, it's a great gift, almost a new painting Vermeer. It was one of the most impressing works at the Rijksmusem Vermeer exhibition. Hope you saw it there.
Jonathan Jansen nicely enumerates many technical details but for some reason did not comment on Vermeer's message. Most people who know nothing about techniques and have no need to illustrate their competency on such matters. This 'lack' actually removes a big obstacle to appreciating (understanding) art. Key Points Cupid: Cupid's presence is a clear declaration about the theme of this painting. Vermeer is stating his understanding of love. What love means for him. Clearly, it is not about lust or mutual exploitation for pleasure etc. While cupid's arrow struck strikes suddenly, in realizing that one feels for this particular person but if you want this initial feeling of emerge into full love then certain mandates must be abided. Cupid stepping on the mask is saying that you must immediately avoid all falseness, all adoption of a persona and role playing. True love is stifled and eventually extinguished by insincerity. Pregnant Woman: The girl is clearly pregnant. The letter she is reading is from the man in the window. What appears to be her reflection in the window is the man in her heart and mind. He has a beard and his clothing does not match her clothing, especially the black band around her neck. He is clearly broad-shouldered since, very nicely, his right arm is in front of the curtain draped back over the window. It appears that she sees him in her mind writing the letter she is reading. This constant awareness of the beloved is reciprocal as indicated by the man clearly composing the letter she is reading. Openness, Transparency, Sincerity: The window is open, openness is a quality in all true love relationships whether that love is between friends or a spouse (Partner, current common term for "the other" in a relationship in no way implies love, just a momentary presence.) The curtain is thrown back - nothing is hidden in true love which is only possible in a sincere relationship where sincere is from the Greek (sin meaning without and cere (keri) means wax) to be without wax means to be without makeup, making oneself appear differently or hiding how one actually appears. Contrast this with modern American tendency of using facial expressions to hide how one actually feels. Bowl of fruit - love relationships are fruitful is consistent with the theology of love where fruitful does not refer to offspring. Love bears fruit in that both lovers mutually grow in virtue (meaning strength) if their love is true love because love seeks to benefit the beloved. The bowl is overflowing so to speak. True love is very fruitful in many ways as depicted by the exceptional variety of fruit. The Bed is a symbol of their sharing one life together. The fruitfulness of their innocent / virtuous relationship (not motivated by lust) is the placement of the bowl of fruit. Bed Clothing (blankets) is the most complex fabric in the room. Loving relationships possess a deep richness or personhood. Dull Fabric Bed Curtain - the bed curtain is thrown back to reveal to the world a glimpse of true intimacy. The bed curtain is a coarse dull fabric because that best illustrates the typical other kind of 'love' relationship that is common in the world. Intimacy without sincerity is coarse self-seeking pleasure or other benefits. There is more, but I suspect I'm typing a message to myself. I've been married for 50 years and can assert from experience that Vermeer got it right. No matter the difficulty presented by the events of life, there is always a bright glow in one's heart provided one abides by the simple fundamental guidelines Vermeer enumerates. While he wasn't a Catholic, his "theology" coincided with it in on many points.
Super great job explaining, great video. you're right about that other golden Age artist Geret Dou get's the detail, but not the same zaz as Vermeers girl reading the lettter.
What a delightful video, the vibrant colors give a new life to the Girl reading a letter... The cupid does still a lot of attention, maybe another of his usual background paints or a lose representation of the cupid would be a better choice, but if that is how the master wanted it, that is how it have to be.
The painting is mesmerizing. I was able to sneak a 30-minute, last-minute visit before my flight home. It was hard to break away from the picture even though there were another 20 or so Vermeers to look at. Home I can somehow scrape up some money to visit aging before it closes. I'm past 70 so I will never have the opportunity to see many of the pictures again.
Excellent video. I was rather comforted by but the survey as I've always felt a but guilty in preferring the pre-restoration painting, although I completely agree with the decision to restore it in accordance with Vermeer's original intent. I'm quite convinced by the experts opinion of it being over painted at a late date and not by Vermeer himself. I think I remember reading that the original varnish was found over the cupid proving the point? As to my enjoyment of the restored painting, I confess I preferred it as it was. It seems cluttered to me now, detracting from the beautiful profile of the woman's figure against the blank wall. And I'm afraid I positively dislike the cupid painting itself!
Well, it's certainly a quite different painting now. It took me some time to get "used to," although the Cupid still looks strange. Now I adore it, especially after having seen it extensively on two different occasions. Have you seen the real painting? In ant case, there is no obligation to like it, or any other work by Vermeer. Painting is exceptionally personal experience.
Love the color restoration - simply brilliant. Not terribly happy with the Cupid - it’s an awful picture in very linear frame. For love symbolic it way into face - on the old gravure angel is exquisite - and if Vermeer as an art dealer was selling his mother-in-law style paintings, no wonder business was not brisk…
A painting of a housewife reading a love letter...How do we know?..look at the puto in the painting, he represents love, she is reading a love letter. Married women do not receive letters any letter. She has duties. She has a liver ...sinful!.
Instead of enjoying the Paintings of Johannes Vermeer, some critici have only negative reactions about his work, 350 years ago live wasn’t easy for painters including Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh, they had poor lives and Van Gogh used coil because paint was sometimes to expensive, due to all the suffering Vermeer died very young, anyhow to blame him is immoral en should be stopped !
Well I’m not a connaisseur and my reaction was pure emotional, I’red many books about are famous painters which were very poor, Vermeer had also to take care of more then 10 children, Rembrandt van Rijn was also supported by one art lover, however when it stopped all his belongings came under the hammer, shortly after that he died ! Van Gogh didn’t sold one painting, his doctor became a painting of himself but he or his family brought it to a shop for nearly nothing.That’s what I mean about talking of painters and their work. Furtheron I’m a peacefull person ! Greetings !
I agree that Vermeer's GIrl Reding a Letter is so superior now that it's been restored - thank you for your video and annalysis, great job!
My favorite Vermeer before the restoration and after. The vibrancy makes up for the Cupid. (Perhaps I like the empty space more?)
Yes, It's hard to get used to the Cupid. I am not sure if I ever will. But it's still Vermeer all over. At the Amsterdam Vermeer exhibit, there was always crowd around the picture, so I have the idea that it may be a favorite of a lot of people. It's a masterwork. BTW, did you know that the restoration staff found a layer of final varnish on the Cupid which was most likely applied by Vermeer himself. Such old varnishes are almost unheard of in paintings centuries old. The restoration team left it intact so future generations could decide to remove it or not. It has one downside. It has aged very much and gives the Cupid a deep orange tone. So if you remove it, the Cupid would probably integrate better into the picture.
Thank you for blessing us with another wonderful video about our hero Jan.
Really, I never though I might be capable of "blessing" others (hope that's a figure of speech), but I take your compliment with pleasure. Thanks. Long live our hero.
@@essentialvermeer It is indeed a figure of speech. Canadian from Vancouver here. British English speaker. I did not know that the darkness in A Maid Asleep was from a varnish slowly failing. I always surmised that the moody shadow was intended. Makes the painting stand out in Jan's oeuvre in my opinion. I have been making lots of copies of various masters. I recently discovered The Pre-Raphealite Brotherhood, Edwin Austin Abbey in particular. His Hamlet painting is excellent study fuel. I have been designing my own Dutch Ripple frames (the same black ones that house Lady with a Scale, and Girl with a Flute. Hoping to make some Vermeer replicas in the near future. Your videos are inspirational.
Many thanks love your thoughts about the painting. I am excited to visit the exhibition at the end of march
This is one of the three Vermeers I saw for the first time a couple of days ago at the Rijksmuseum, so of course didn't see the pre-restoration version. However, I certainly feel it looks better with the cupid! Still buzzing from my visit, totally worth travelling over from London for this exhibition.
Yes, it's a glorious piece of painting. Every time I see it, it looks better.
Great video! I am convinced it was the right decision to uncover him, but one thing that makes this particular Cupid seem especially ungainly to me is the relative scale of his figure compared to what we see of the girl’s figure. They take up about the same amount of visual space. The Cupid in the Lady Standing at a Virginal is prominent but still appears toddler-sized compared to the Lady. One could imagine her carrying him on her hip. Not so with the Girl and her recently-uncovered Cupid. Another slightly unnerving thing is that he is looking directly at us while the Girl is not, making his presence even more dominant (unlike in Lady Standing where they are both looking out at us). That said, I’m getting used to it, and I did always feel that the height of the painting with the vast amount of empty space above the girl was a little odd. I see the Cupid as if he is drawing aside the curtain. Look forward to more in this series, thanks!
Your observations are spot on. Thanks. I would have used them in the video had I thought of them myself, especially the one about the Dresden girl's oblique gaze. Even though Vermeer was still sorting out things, it's still an amazingly powerful work of art. I wonder if Vermeer intentionally covered the Cupids' hand holding the card with a Roman numeral one. I am surprised no art historian has picked up that. But maybe I haven't red everything. I have another one almost complete, but will have to postpone it to early April.
Thank you very much , it's wonderful .It is a pity that the two Vermeer paintings in the Louvre have not been restored.Their condition is bad.
Although I had seen it after the restoration in Dresden, it was even more impressive in Amsterdam, one of the show's stars. Yes, the Astronomer is in dire need of a cleaning, the Lacemaker suffers too. It was ruined by the incredibly black coffin-like frame in the Amsterdam show. But I think it was the French who put it on, and Amsterdam couldn't find another one for the show that might fit. It was the only real soar spot in the exhibit.
@@essentialvermeer Thank you
For me the restoration is majestic, it reveals an extra gift from Vermeer across the centuries - what's not to like !
Yes, it's a great gift, almost a new painting Vermeer. It was one of the most impressing works at the Rijksmusem Vermeer exhibition. Hope you saw it there.
Jonathan Jansen nicely enumerates many technical details but for some reason did not comment on Vermeer's message. Most people who know nothing about techniques and have no need to illustrate their competency on such matters. This 'lack' actually removes a big obstacle to appreciating (understanding) art.
Key Points
Cupid:
Cupid's presence is a clear declaration about the theme of this painting. Vermeer is stating his understanding of love. What love means for him. Clearly, it is not about lust or mutual exploitation for pleasure etc. While cupid's arrow struck strikes suddenly, in realizing that one feels for this particular person but if you want this initial feeling of emerge into full love then certain mandates must be abided. Cupid stepping on the mask is saying that you must immediately avoid all falseness, all adoption of a persona and role playing. True love is stifled and eventually extinguished by insincerity.
Pregnant Woman:
The girl is clearly pregnant. The letter she is reading is from the man in the window. What appears to be her reflection in the window is the man in her heart and mind. He has a beard and his clothing does not match her clothing, especially the black band around her neck. He is clearly broad-shouldered since, very nicely, his right arm is in front of the curtain draped back over the window. It appears that she sees him in her mind writing the letter she is reading. This constant awareness of the beloved is reciprocal as indicated by the man clearly composing the letter she is reading.
Openness, Transparency, Sincerity:
The window is open, openness is a quality in all true love relationships whether that love is between friends or a spouse (Partner, current common term for "the other" in a relationship in no way implies love, just a momentary presence.)
The curtain is thrown back - nothing is hidden in true love which is only possible in a sincere relationship where sincere is from the Greek (sin meaning without and cere (keri) means wax) to be without wax means to be without makeup, making oneself appear differently or hiding how one actually appears. Contrast this with modern American tendency of using facial expressions to hide how one actually feels.
Bowl of fruit - love relationships are fruitful is consistent with the theology of love where fruitful does not refer to offspring. Love bears fruit in that both lovers mutually grow in virtue (meaning strength) if their love is true love because love seeks to benefit the beloved. The bowl is overflowing so to speak. True love is very fruitful in many ways as depicted by the exceptional variety of fruit.
The Bed is a symbol of their sharing one life together. The fruitfulness of their innocent / virtuous relationship (not motivated by lust) is the placement of the bowl of fruit.
Bed Clothing (blankets) is the most complex fabric in the room. Loving relationships possess a deep richness or personhood.
Dull Fabric Bed Curtain - the bed curtain is thrown back to reveal to the world a glimpse of true intimacy. The bed curtain is a coarse dull fabric because that best illustrates the typical other kind of 'love' relationship that is common in the world. Intimacy without sincerity is coarse self-seeking pleasure or other benefits.
There is more, but I suspect I'm typing a message to myself.
I've been married for 50 years and can assert from experience that Vermeer got it right. No matter the difficulty presented by the events of life, there is always a bright glow in one's heart provided one abides by the simple fundamental guidelines Vermeer enumerates. While he wasn't a Catholic, his "theology" coincided with it in on many points.
Wow, imagine how the girl asleep at 14:50 could look if it were cleaned. Imagine how bright it could be!
Super great job explaining, great video. you're right about that other golden Age artist Geret Dou get's the detail, but not the same zaz as Vermeers girl reading the lettter.
What a delightful video, the vibrant colors give a new life to the Girl reading a letter... The cupid does still a lot of attention, maybe another of his usual background paints or a lose representation of the cupid would be a better choice, but if that is how the master wanted it, that is how it have to be.
The painting is mesmerizing. I was able to sneak a 30-minute, last-minute visit before my flight home. It was hard to break away from the picture even though there were another 20 or so Vermeers to look at. Home I can somehow scrape up some money to visit aging before it closes. I'm past 70 so I will never have the opportunity to see many of the pictures again.
@@essentialvermeer I can image what an amazing experience it was, I hope I have the chance to see them in person.
Thank you¡¡
I have an oil on panel of the procuress. Can u help me understand if its legit. Looks super old
isn't it possible the brightness of the interior wall is due to the angle of the sunlight at a certain time of day?
Excellent video. I was rather comforted by but the survey as I've always felt a but guilty in preferring the pre-restoration painting, although I completely agree with the decision to restore it in accordance with Vermeer's original intent. I'm quite convinced by the experts opinion of it being over painted at a late date and not by Vermeer himself. I think I remember reading that the original varnish was found over the cupid proving the point? As to my enjoyment of the restored painting, I confess I preferred it as it was. It seems cluttered to me now, detracting from the beautiful profile of the woman's figure against the blank wall. And I'm afraid I positively dislike the cupid painting itself!
Well, it's certainly a quite different painting now. It took me some time to get "used to," although the Cupid still looks strange. Now I adore it, especially after having seen it extensively on two different occasions. Have you seen the real painting? In ant case, there is no obligation to like it, or any other work by Vermeer. Painting is exceptionally personal experience.
Sorry, I posted my comment before reading your reply concerning the original varnish over the cupid.
No problem.
Love the color restoration - simply brilliant. Not terribly happy with the Cupid - it’s an awful picture in very linear frame. For love symbolic it way into face - on the old gravure angel is exquisite - and if Vermeer as an art dealer was selling his mother-in-law style paintings, no wonder business was not brisk…
My short take; It's a love letter from God with a Window Of Upper Unity.
That cupid is awful. It reminds of why I consider Vermeer comically overrated. People just like the artificial scarcity.
Hehehh, compared to whom?
A painting of a housewife reading a love letter...How do we know?..look at the puto in the painting, he represents love, she is reading a love letter. Married women do not receive letters any letter. She has duties. She has a liver
...sinful!.
Thanks for the comment.
@@essentialvermeer you need to research the time period so you understand the mores of the 17th cent. No married woman receives a letter from anybody
Instead of enjoying the Paintings of Johannes Vermeer, some critici have only negative reactions about his work, 350 years ago live wasn’t easy for painters including Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh, they had poor lives and Van Gogh used coil because paint was sometimes to expensive, due to all the suffering Vermeer died very young, anyhow to blame him is immoral en should be stopped !
Sorry Hans. Seems to me you have said the same thing about three different paintings, but perhaps I am misunderstanding you.
Well I’m not a connaisseur and my reaction was pure emotional, I’red many books about are famous painters which were very poor, Vermeer had also to take care of more then 10 children, Rembrandt van Rijn was also supported by one art lover, however when it stopped all his belongings came under the hammer, shortly after that he died ! Van Gogh didn’t sold one painting, his doctor became a painting of himself but he or his family brought it to a shop for nearly nothing.That’s what I mean about talking of painters and their work. Furtheron I’m a peacefull person ! Greetings !