The Lacemaker — Johannes Vermeer
One of Vermeer’s lesser-known works but nevertheless at the pinnacle of his art as a painter.
Johannes Vermeer is probably one of the most underrated painters in history.
He also suffered the injustice of being forgotten for too long until he was rescued from obscurity during the 19th century.
Everyone has in mind The Girl with the Pearl Pearl (aka Girl with a Turban), one of the most iconic works of art that have overcome the figure of its author to take on a life of its own as a piece of admiration.
Vermeer painted that work, but he has many others that are more important in his career; they are also better in composition and technique.
This is the case of The Lacemaker, framed in the usual theme of the Dutch artist: an ordinary character, being the object of observation in his intimacy and while doing everyday tasks.
In this case, the painting shows a young woman engaged in lace-making. She is concentrated, bent towards her object of dedication: she fixes her gaze on her hands and the movement with which she performs her work.
This is an intimate painting, and the setting is in harmony with this intention. There is only a cushion with threads in the foreground, the…
