Jan Vermeer’s ‘Young Woman With a Water Pitcher’ Term Paper

This painting is one of the most famous works of painter Jan Vermeer. Vermeer is reputed across the world for being one of the most talented painters. Vermeer remains a revered Dutchman who has excelled as an artist, leaving behind a legacy of success. This artist died at the young age of 43. His life was not very known but his works earned acclaim. The painting, especially, the one in context has remained one of the most impressive and comprehensive pieces of art today. Besides, any budding artist is obliged to admire and study the painting to become oriented with varying aspects of distinctive painting.

Painter Jan Vermeer is credited with his passion for the domestic scene. His works featured many household situations which he could paint as scenes. The scenes seemed to draw their theme from Vermeer’s family life. Jan Vermeer had a large family that included eight children. The domestic scenes are replicated on the painting renowned ‘the young woman with a pitcher.’ In this painting, Vermeer used light and tone, two of the most vital elements of his skill set. In the picture, light and tone are given attention.

The painting was done in 1675. It earned its name from its features. The entire work was done on canvas. The industry classifies the ‘young woman with a pitcher’ as oil on canvas painting. In size, the painting is certainly very small in comparison to typical paintings including Jan Vermeer’s works. The actual size of the painting is approximately 18*16 inches, which is relatively small in context.

Rarely do optical effects become core subjects when a painter embarks on doing one. However, this rarity in art was overtaken by Vermeer’s special interest in optical effects. In this very distinguished work, Vermeer used colors, light, and shapes to make the painting a completely captivating scene. The work can be described as Vermeer’s optimal equilibrium, where his skill set consummated a process of artistic distinctiveness. Between colors and elementary shapes, Vermeer achieves a very vital stage through which, his ability to conceptualize is replicated in practice. The picture is a replication of his ideals about domestic serenity.

The painting is a composition of perceived optimism. Vermeer wished for a domestic situation that was stable, calm, serene, and continuous. The aspects of such perception are observed and felt through the water pitcher basin. Their position and composition draw out chastity, which is vital in the domestic front, and purity, which denotes the trust, honesty, and continuous love that makes a home flourish and prosper.

There are many observations supposed to be made when examining the features of this painting. The type of color and the intent of using the color is important. It provides insight into the purpose and how perceived intent is expressed through color and light. Jan Vermeer used the color of real ultramarine to paint a folded cloth on the table. The cloth was folded in a typical way, something that is explaining Vermeer’s great passion to have a nice home that met his expectations.

The color was also used to paint a window. Ultramarine is used abundantly on both occasions. On the window part, Vermeer used it to make the effect of daylight coming through the window well represented in the painting. The daylight comes through the window and lights the room radiantly. The amount of light used in the painting is a lot, notably because, light provides an overview of space in the room and allows the viewer to become aware of the elements of the painting and the theme of the painting.

To achieve such a level of distinctiveness, Vermeer paid great attention to the distribution of light across the room, something he managed by applying layers of semi-transparent ultramarine and white color. The objective is to use the combination as he prepared the canvas. By specifically painting sections of the canvas to make each aspect to be distinct, Vermeer achieved his objective; an evenly lit painting, whose color and light intensity strikes the required balance.

Vermeer was objective. He was candid in his bid to provide a tint that stood out and spoke of his viewpoint about tranquility, regardless of class and conditions. With light intensity variations visible across the painting It is possible to identify, that he objectively modified the art with color tone and light intensity to emphasize a woman’s role in bringing about positive change, beauty, and glamour in an abode. Sets of colors have been used to bring out an aboriginal sense of chastity. The naturalness of the painting and the austerity of the woman holding the water pitcher are made significant by the tone of the blue of the painting.

According to Janson, the woman is wearing a headdress. She is holding the water pitcher. This woman was originally painted using grey and white shades and was then modified with real ultramarine to give it a tan. The transparency of the headgear comes from the ultramarine after the sunlight coming through the window lights it. The background of the picture has the ultramarine to make it sanguine and very addressing. A result is a unique form of placidity and a scene that is actually in context.

Artistically, this state of the painting is a very impressive one. Remarkably, colors complement each other. The light makes the picture live as the woman brings a touch of feelings and expectations. It is a very concise expose of how concepts and well-thought ideas can be spoken through art. Jan Vermeer had thought of female chastity and his idea of it was so concise that he knew which color would best suit the many aspects of the concept. Jan has an incredible sense of concern about life, with emphasis on the domestic front. It can be described as the ability to understand life more broadly and seriously as Janson proposes.

After the gradual evolution of how colors play a vital role in shaping the outcomes of painting, today, painters can choose and use many colors pigments to use in comparison to the past where there were very limited color pigments and shades. It is worthy to note, Jan was able to make use of available color coats to create various scene conditions in a very captivating manner. This made the paintings look more like a live picture than a painting. The message intended for the viewer is well conferred.

Let us examine the color aspect of the painting, with emphasis on the number of colors that Vermeer used in comparison to modern painting. As mentioned earlier, there were fewer color choices to choose from n the 17th century. However, over the years, color tones and shades have increased significantly. Both tone and shade zero on the pigment aspect of color. Color pigment is mainly what summarizes the aspects of the painting. Vermeer used only 10 color pigments in his painting, while today; a painter has ten times that choice. Drying the colors would have been significantly painstaking since Vermeer had to use natural means to have them dry.

Vermeer hoped to bridge the gap between social classes by showing that, a woman from the higher society, is not different from a woman of the lower social class, both in character and place in the house as a wife. The woman holding the water pitcher seems from the upper society. Her dressing makes us aware of the fact that she is a member of the higher society. Her clothes too are indicators of the same. She is in a room with a Persian carpet, a carpet that is found in the house of the rich. There is also a map on the wall. The low classes hardly have maps in their houses or rooms, only the rich do.

The tranquility and harmony of the domestic front are radiantly displayed in this picture. The setup in the house is a direct invocation of how a good woman keeps her house. A beautiful woman should be harmonious and should replicate her physical beauty by making her house resemble her beauty. This way, the many things that happen every day in life are shadowed/cushioned by the good features and beauty she adds to the house.

To add to her beauty, Jan Vermeer drew out her arm curves. The aim is to make the woman’s beauty vibrate. To make sure he achieves this distinctively, he painted her face through which, a friendly expression is observed. The woman is a symbol of the tranquility required in a home, and the happiness she should generate when you, as the homeowner/husband go into the house.

The map of the Netherlands is hung on the wall, while a chair is behind a table and the woman.

In summary, Jan Vermeer has used light, color, and situations during the Baroque period of the Netherlands to hammer home the fact that, the home front should be the place of peace and restrain. The woman, though from the upper class is beautiful and seemingly, in thought, yet she is friendly and committed to keeping her place as a woman and the manager of the home. She has risen against many social issues like problems and her calmness as seen in this picture is indicative of restraining, something Vermeer might have been objective about. His domestic scene is as such complete and his hope is meaningfully displayed through color, light, and objects and all combined using inventiveness and arrangement to make the meaning conspicuous.

Jan Vermeer’s painting as such is a multifaceted message about the home stretch. The domestic scene should provide tranquility, peace, and room. The woman is a symbol of home keeping. A woman is principal in making the state of the house to be welcoming and consoling even at times of pain and joy. Besides, remaining restrained even when provoked and seeking to be friendly and understanding is core in making the home a place to be.

References

Janson, Jonothan. “Young Woman with a Water Pitcher.” 2001. Web.