“Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid”

This is a painting by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, it is supposed to be completed between the years 1670–1671, its dimensions are 72.2 cm × 59.5 cm (28.4 in × 23.4 in), its composition is oil on canvas and now it is in the National Gallery of Ireland.

The work shows a middle-class woman attended by a maid who is acting as Messenger for the lady and the lover. The maid is shown standing in the mid ground, behind her lady, with the hands crusted and waiting for the letter to be finished. The positions of her bodies indicate that the two women are disconnected, moreover, the lady is separated from her lady both emotionally and psychologically. The maid’s gaze towards the window indicates an inner restlessness and boredom, as she waits impatiently for the messenger to carry her lady’s letter away. Nevertheless, there are some art historians who say that the fact that the maid is present during such an intimate act as the composition of a love letter indicates at least a degree of intimacy between the two.

More than once Vermeer thought about the possibility of subverting the hierarchy of the figures’ social position within his compositions. In this case, the maid, who belongs to an inferior social class, stands at the center of the painting placed above her mistress. Vermeer’s figure may have been derived from a work of similar letter theme by painter Gabriel Metsu as she wears a surprisingly similar outfit and fulfills essentially the same role.

The pose of the seated mistress seems to draw inspiration from the Lacemaker as their facial expression is similar. The patch of bright white wall behind her is contrasting her right hand silhouette; however, this bright is illogical considering the fall of light in the rest of the room.

In this painting, there are some usual motifs such as the window frame and the back wall painting, and there are also particular motifs. Let’s begin with the floor, the marble flooring in this painting suggests a quality of bourgeois life rather than any reality, it is an ideal as the Dutch generally preferred floor made of wood like in this image in which appears one of the most influential men of culture in the Netherlands.

This detail is a letter, a stick of sealing wax, a bright red seal, and an object that could be a book or a letter, if it is a letter it may be one that the lady has received or a draft that she rejected, or maybe is a letter not her own and its content was disturbing.

Of the many carpets represented in Vermeer’s paintings, this one is the most abstractly painted. The decorative designs are reduced to a sort of calligraphic shorthand and the knotty texture has been completely erased by an exceptionally smooth, simplified application of paint.

Chairs also appear in a great number of Dutch paintings and many critics think that some of the empty chairs in Vermeer’s paintings may allude to an absent person. In this work the presence of the free-standing chair and the objects tossed on the floor might indicate that some action would have just taken place. Otherwise, they would be in order.

This is a tribute to his beloved Delft including a row of locally-made floor tiles. These tiles served to protect the lower walls from mops and brooms, to cover fireplaces and to isolate walls from humidity.

This green curtain functions as a familiar pictorial device called repoussoir meaning to push back. This means a contrast by placing a large figure or object in the foreground of a painting. In a number of Vermeer’s paintings there are repoussoir curtains in the foreground too placed between the first and the second window of the artist studio. They are pushed more on less to the left and gathered up a little at the bottom giving the impression of a stage with the curtain drawn back. The repoussoir curtain has noble origins and an example of this is this mural representing Parrhasius and Zeuxis.

The white curtain establishes one of three strong diagonal lines which gives energy to the composition and softens the composition’s rectilinear design.

The leadings of the window seem to be identical in design with the ones in the earlier Music Lesson but in this picture the central design has been colored. No one has been able to make out a figural meaning of the motif and maybe it was simply colored in order to bond the empty left-hand side of the painting with the right.

This painting is a Finding of Moses. It follows the same technique applied to other examples of the so-called pictures within-a-picture in other works by the artist. Curiously, the same Moses appears in the Astronomer, dramatically reduced scale.

As a curiosity, this painting has been stolen two times in the last twenty-five years. The first one was in 1974. The painting was stolen by the IRA (Irish Republican Army) from his owner, who was a member of Britain’s Parliament. Some members of IRA entered his home and stole a total of nineteen painting by using screwdrivers to cut the paintings from their frames. They were recovered a week later. The work was again taken in 1986 by a gang led by the Dublin organized crime gang leader Martin Cahill. Only after more than seven years of secret negotiations and international detective work was the painting recovered.

References:

• Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid. (2010, December 7). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:32, May 23, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lady_Writing_a_Letter_with_her_Maid&oldid=401049839
• Essential Vermeer. The complete interactive Vermeer catalogue. Retrieved 19:30, May 23,  2011, from http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/lady_writing_a_letter.html
• Vermeer: Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid. Retrieved 19:35, May 23, 2011, from http://www.artchive.com/artchive/V/vermeer/lady_writing.jpg.html

‘The Astronomer’

The Astronomer is a painting finished about 1668 by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. It is oil on canvas, 50 cm x 45 cm and it is on display at the Louvre, Paris. Portrayals of scientists were a favourite topic in 17th century Dutch painting and one of this type of painting that Vermeer includes in his galery is The Astronomer.

 

Making a brief analysis, in the following diagram we can see two different realities of the work which are brought into relation. The geometrical center of the painting (indicated by the point where the two yellow diagonals cross) and the vanishing point (indicated by the point where all the light gray perspective orthogonals meet), in fact,  fall precisely on the same point. This coincidence is fortuitous (statistically highly improbable). I think it is an extraordinary composition.

 There are some important elemntes in this painting:

• The signature and date on the cupboard. The Astronomer is one of the very few canvases signed and dated by Vermeer.
• The globe presents the complex forms of the constellations.
• The open book was identified as the second edition of a work by Adriaan Metius, Institutiones Astronomicae et Geographicae. It is opened where ‘ inspiration from God ‘ is recommended for astronomical research along with knowledge of geometry and the aid of mechanical instruments.

Metius’ book was intended as a practical guide for studying astronomy and geography, which were more closely related in the    17th century than they are today. The book was recommended for ‘ shippers and pilots ‘ and included ‘ short and clear instructions for the art of navigation.’

• The astrolabe is an historical astronomical instrument and analog computer used by classical astronomers and astrologers.In Vermeer’s Astronomer, the astrolabe may suggest man’s need to chart his course in life through careful and rational application of logic and measurement.
• The curious technical chart. The three circular forms indicate some sort of stereoscopic projection.I have to mention that all these elements are in relation with astronomy figures like Sun, Moon, etc.
• The books. We do not know the topics or titles of any of the twenty-five books ‘of all kinds’ cited in the inventory of movable goods of Vermeer’s estate. In any case, since books were still expensive, the number is considerable for a family of medium economic means.
• The window construction presents part of a colored decorative stem. The incoming light is concentrated on the contemplative scholar and the celestial globe creating an air of mystery.
• The particular painting about Moses. Vermeer’s Astronomerrepresents two different types of 17th-century science, the modern beside the ancient.　

 

Vermeer is popularly known as a painter of women. In that period, male figures usually played a supportive role such as a suitors, musicians or musical instructors. Nevertheless, Dutch paintings focus on a male figure usually exhibit them in their professional capacity such as doctors, scientists or painters. Only two paintings, the Astronomer and the Geographer show this idea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Astronomer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Geographer

 

There are some differences between those two paintings but also some similar things.

According to the same things, we have

• The signature and the date
• The globe
• The books
• The window
• A particular painting
• The kimono (clothes)

However,some diferences too.

The Geografer

• The compass
• Maps

The Astronomer

• The astrolabe
• Technical chart
• Open book

According to some studies. they said that the man who appears is the same person.

As you can see, it is a painting with a lot of important details. I have chose this painting because I think that it is a good one to make people to use their imagination and creation. When you are analysing the painting you are constantly making questions and you do not know the answer and this makes you use your imagination and make a personal story about that.

This is a video about a digital study of  the painting The Astronomer. Enjoy it!

http://youtu.be/fyMM1FbuDss

Sources:

• Vermeer ‘s web page : http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/astronomer.html
• Youtube web page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyMM1FbuDss&feature=related

 

 

Poem on “The Art of Painting”

POEM ON THE ART OF PAINTING

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Why Johannes do you
paint me young when I’ve seen the birth of light?

Why with eyes down?

If I should be
ashamed of my own past…

If you should be ashamed
of yours…

Is not life joy and
thrill?

Why not a happy smile
in my eyes?

 

The light coming through the window in the painting
was more intense every time I looked at it. Time was passing by without me
being conscious of it. I started writing with the painter’s hands. My retreat
was his painting, but it seemed that he found refuge in my writing: one and the
same thing.

I was scribbling about every detail of the model’s
face, just as Johannes seemed to have painted it, with meticulous strokes. In
fact, I was painting every detail of her face with Vermeer’s hands. His hands
were mine.

 

My face does not
reflect my age

No traits, no
testimonies.

Why, Johannes, why?

I own all the
knowledge of having lived fully

My every act so
famous

You do not reflect
that

Light, Johannes, more
light.

You light me!

——————————–

———————————–

———————————–

 SOURCES

Valeriano Bozal (2003). Vermeer: el gran “voyeur”. Descubrir el Arte,
nº 48.
Consultado 20.03.2011 en
http://almendron.com/arte/pintura/vermeer/vermeer_01.htm

Jonathan
Janson (2011). An essential Vermeer bookshop. Consultada
20.03.2011 en http://www.essentialvermeer.com/books/books_vermeer.html

–

Other Type of Art

Hendrik Kersten is a photograph who works in Amsterdam and uses his daughter and his model to evoke a past period already long gone but which can be seen through the art of paintors as Vermeer. Kersten’s style immeditately makes the viewer think about Vermeer.

He uses modern objects to decorate his daughter, Paula, such as plastic bags, hoodies, lamps, toilet paper or towels, among other ordinary objects that may be found in any house. Kersten’s work was published in “Dutch Seen: New York Rediscovered”.

Another images which depict the Dutch’s painter’s style is through Matt Groening, the famour creator of the Simpsons, whose characters were used to recreate old legends such as The Girl with a Pearl Earring. It is a young painter named David Barton.

Following the same style with other painters: Willie the Scottish man in Van Gogh’s Self Portret

Apu as Dalí

Homer as Rembrant

Sources:

• http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/shelikestowatch/tag/vermeer/ (22/05/2011, 15.00)
• http://www.blending-mashine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/simpsons_apu_dali_art.jpg (22/05/2011, 15.00)
• http://designrelated.tv/inspiration/simpons%20art%20masterpieces/homer_simpson_rembrandt.jpg (22/05/2011, 15.05)
• http://www.limpfish.com/b3ta/marge_small.jpg (22/05/2011, 15.05)
• http://www.bronx.com/news/Art/611.html (22/05/2011, 15.05)

Artículo Vermeer: El Arte de la Pintura

Artículo Vermeer

Cuando tienes que hacer
un trabajo académico sobre cualquier tema lo primero de todo, después de
haberlo seleccionado, es buscar información sobre él.  En función de la que encuentres, te va a
permitir hacerlo de una manera u otra. Si encima eres neófita en la materia,
como es mi caso respecto a la obra de Vermeer, es imprescindible buscar aquí o
allá. Hoy en día la fuente más fácil, más barata y más rápida de hacerlo es a
través de internet.

Yo desconocía completamente la obra
de este artista. Seleccioné el cuadro “El pintor en su taller” o “El arte de la
pintura” porque pensé que encontraría suficiente información de manera sencilla
en la red.

Pero la primera información que
llegó a mis manos fue la que encontré en mi casa, en un coleccionable de El País
Aguilar ,”Guía visual de Pintura y Arquitectura”, 1997. Las páginas 124 y 125
están dedicadas a esta obra de Vermeer. En ellas se enumeran cada uno de los
elementos que aparecen en el cuadro y lo que supuestamente podrían significar.

Después me metí en la red. Encontré
de todo. Como siempre información muy válida para ensanchar mis conocimiento y
paja que no me sirvió para nada.

La Wikipedia me sirvió para hacerme
una idea general; sobre el pintor en http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Vermeer
y sobre la obra en concreto en http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Painting_(Vermeer).

Luego busqué la página oficial del museo vienés donde se
exhibe, el Kunsthistorisches Museum, www.khm.at/khm.
Para lo que yo quería, que era conseguir la información que el museo daba sobre
la pintura, no me sirvió de mucho, de nada diría yo. Tampoco me sirvió para
visualizar el museo por dentro. Yo ya tenía cierta idea de lo que quería narrar
y necesitaba imperiosamente saber cómo eran las salas y las galerías del
edificio. Asi es que me metí en Youtube y busqué vídeo colgados de gente que
había visitado el museo. Me visioné unos cuantos. Cada día se cuelgan nuevos.
Señalo aquí tres de los que ví:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP4F-mowcWY

Por
último tengo que destacar las páginas:

http://www.almendron.com/arte/pintura/vermeer/vermeer_01.htm

http://www.almendron.com/arte/pintura/vermeer/vermeer_02.htm

en ellas se habla de
Vermeer como el gran “voyeur” y al leerlas es cuando supe lo que iba hacer. La
idea consistía en introducirme de alguna manera en la obra y mirar desde dentro
de ella. El resto fue un poco de imaginación y de literatura.

Sources:

Valeriano Bozal (2003). Vermeer: el gran “voyeur”. Descubrir el Arte,
nº 48.
Consultado 20.03.2011 en
http://almendron.com/arte/pintura/vermeer/vermeer_01.htm

Jonathan
Janson (2011). An essential Vermeer bookshop. Consultada
20.03.2011 en http://www.essentialvermeer.com/books/books_vermeer.html

–El País
Aguilar ,”Guía visual de Pintura y Arquitectura”, 1997. Las páginas 124 y 125

–

Conversación con el pasado: El Arte de la Pintura

Había
ido a Viena, y una vez en la ciudad no me quedó
más remedio que visitar sus museos. Esa mañana me tocaba ir al Kunsthistorisches.  Paseaba por sus galerías y me topé con él.
Sin ser consciente lo había estado buscando desde que entré en el edificio. De
hecho confieso que fue uno de los alicientes del viaje. Quería verlo. No sé
porqué, cuando lo vi por primera vez en una ilustración no me dijo demasiado.
Recuerdo que tenía que hacer un trabajo en la universidad sobre Vermeer. Hablar
sobre alguno de sus cuadros. Elegí ese, sin ningún motivo en especial. Intuí
que podría encontrar bastante información sobre esa pintura y que me sería fácil
escribir unos folios sobre él. No era el que más me gustaba del pintor, pero lo
escogí.

Cuando
veo por primera vez una creación artística como, por ejemplo,  una pintura, me gusta o no me gusta. Si me
gusta es que me atrae por algún motivo. Puede ser el tema de la obra, puede ser
los colores o las texturas que ha utilizado el pintor, los personajes que
aparecen, las luces de la pintura; en definitiva, lo que me importa es que me
impacte por algún motivo. Si me ocurre esto, me detengo y analizo con más
detalle la creación que tengo ante mí. Si no es así, paso al siguiente cuadro.
Con esta obra, El arte de la pintura,
o era, El pintor en su taller, o Alegoría de la pintura, no había sentido nada al verla reproducida
en alguna página web. Pero tuve que detenerme en ella por obligación, Y mis
sensaciones hacia ella cambiaron.

El
Kunsthistorisches es imponente, con esos atrios, esas columnas, esos techos,
las inmensas galerías, mármol, granito por todas partes, y esa cafetería para
descansar de tanto arte; pero todo ello no supuso para mí algo sobresaliente,
me lo esperaba de alguna manera. Yo necesitaba algo más. Necesitaba verla. Me
había tomado el café e inicié su búsqueda.

Pasé
por unas cuantas salas, deambulé por los pasillos, miraba cuadros pero no había
ninguno que consiguiera que fijara mi vista en él. Yo sólo quería estar frente
a uno. Después de un buen rato, o eso me pareció a mí, por fin llegó el
momento. Por fin lo tuve ante mí. De repente. No había querido buscarlo en la
guía del museo. Me producía mayor placer la búsqueda sin rumbo fijo. Cada nueva
sala, un nuevo sobresalto, una mirada anhelante por todas las paredes. Me costó
pero lo vi. No es una obra de gran tamaño. Pero para mí ocupaba todo el
espacio. Me detuve, lo contemplé. Me fui acercando despacio. Cada poco me
paraba y lo miraba. Ya no tuve más pensamientos que su disfrute. No sabía lo
que iba a suceder en mi cabeza. Hacia dónde me iba llevar la imaginación. Me
acercaba a él.

Al
principio tuve una visión de conjunto del cuadro. En seguida mis ojos fueron
fijándose en detalles aquí y allá. Pero sin centrarse en ninguno, como
queriendo acapararlos todos de golpe. Casi, casi, una atracón de sensaciones,
de figuras, de colores, que, aunque conocidos por mí, me resultaban diferentes.
Tenía ante mí la obra original. Y eran otras las emociones que en mi interior
se estaban produciendo. No es posible comparar una reproducción digital con la
obra real.

Me
serené. Y empecé a disfrutar. Mi sensación del tiempo y el espacio se alteró.
Ya estaba junto al cuadro y mi imaginación echó a volar. No sé si tenía los
ojos abiertos o ya no hacía falta.

Me
fui deteniendo en cada uno de los elementos del taller. Vi la silla junto al
cortinaje. Estaba vacía. Me recordaba a las que tenía mi abuela en su casa.
Pero sin saber porqué preferí sentarme en el suelo, a la derecha del artista.
Pero apartada. Podía tener de esa manera una buena visión de la escena. Era ya
avanzada la mañana y la luz entraba de lleno por la ventana. Clio no se movía.

Clio,
la Historia ante mí. Por mi cabeza pasaron muchos pensamientos sobre el
significado de la fama y del saber a lo largo de los tiempos. Ahora no los
recuerdo, o sí, pero no vienen al caso. Yo estaba en ese momento viviendo un
momento importante de mi historia y eso era lo realmente importante para mí.

La
habitación del taller era espaciosa. Me fijé en el colorido del cortinaje, sus
estampados. Luego mis ojos se fijaron en las telas de la mesa y en la máscara
que había sobre ella.

En
ese momento el artista comenzaba a esbozar los ojos de la protagonista. Es un
elemento del retrato de una persona que siempre me ha parecido fundamental para
captar la esencia del rostro. Quería ver lo que él plasmaba; intuir lo que
pretendía trasmitir de la Historia. Pero la modelo tenía los ojos entornados,
la mirada bajada, y así la retrató.

¿Porqué Johannes me pintas joven si
he visto nacer la luz?

¿Porqué con los ojos entornados?

Acaso me tengo que avergonzar de lo
vivido.

Acaso te avergüenzas tú artista de
tu pasado.

No es la vida ilusión y alegría.

¿Porqué no me pintas una sonrisa en
la mirada?

            La luz que entraba por la ventana
cada vez era más intensa. Pasaba el tiempo pero no era consciente de ello. Mi
realidad era la mano del pintor. Fue trazo a trazo perfilando el rostro de la
mujer.

            Por mi rostro no
parece haber pasado los años.

            No hay rasgos, no hay testimonios.

            ¿Por qué Johannes?

            Yo poseo la sabiduría de haber
vivido,

            y tú no lo reflejas.

            Luz, Johannes, luz. Ilumíname.

 

            Atardecía cuando hubo terminado todo
el rostro. De repente sentí un golpecito en el hombro. Me estremecí. Un
vigilante me dio a entender que el museo iba a cerrar y tenía que marcharme.

Junto a mí, otra mujer estaba parada
frente al cuadro. A ella también le tocó el hombro. Yo la miré entre extrañada
y cómplice. Me miró a su vez. Fue un instante. Ella sonrió y retiró la mirada.

Sonó
el timbre. Maldita sea. Me había dormido; eran las ocho, la hora que empezaba
mi clase de Inglés para Fines Específicos: gracias a Dios mi presentación era la última y aún tenía
tiempo…. ¿Y quién tocaba el timbre a estas horas? Abrí  y asombrada, vi a una mujer bajar corriendo
las escaleras. Me recordaba a alguien. ¿No era la modelo del cuadro?.

Sources

Valeriano Bozal (2003). Vermeer: el gran “voyeur”. Descubrir el Arte,
nº 48.
Consultado 20.03.2011 en
http://almendron.com/arte/pintura/vermeer/vermeer_01.htm

Jonathan
Janson (2011). An essential Vermeer bookshop. Consultada
20.03.2011 en http://www.essentialvermeer.com/books/books_vermeer.html

–

Story of Woman with a Peal Necklace

This is the story I wrote for Claire, with this the analysis I have already published should make sense.

Magic Mirror in the Wall

Lucette had just left her bedroom, leaving Merel in bed. Merel opened first one eye, and then the other, it was so warm under the covers, she could not even think about getting up. She always wondered why days would come so fast each morning. The morning noises started to invade her bedroom little by little, her sisters would probably be already up, it was her honour and curse to be always the last one at the breakfast table, she was also everyone’s favourite, so she took advantage of the situation.

Merel sat in bed and saw a thin but strong ray of sunshine entering the bedroom through her window, designing new shapes and shades with the objects on her table. For some reason she felt happier. Winter had just left, and it was not until mid spring that they were offered sunny days like that one.

Merel waited for Lucette to come back and help her with her dress. Her wardrobe was full of dresses bought and chosen by her mother, only Alessandra, her eldest sister, could choose the colour of her dresses, she was considered to be old enough. Mother certainly loved yellow. Merel was sure it was because of the colour of the sun, and the lack of it in Delft. Mother use to tell them they were the sunshines of the city. Merel loved to hear that, and she enjoyed running with her sisters in the parks of the city, as petals sliding above the lawn. She opened the window and took a deep breath of the fresh air that flew just outside her window, as if invisible birds flapped their wings for her. It was quite cold, so she half closed the window again. Lucette came into the bedroom and smiled, surprised Merel was already up. She normally had to enter two or three times before the youngest lady of the house would get up. Her wardrobe was full of blue, pale rose and yellow dresses, a few of them were green, which Merel had taken from her eldest sister because they did not fit her anymore.

‘Which colour are you feeling today, miss Merel?

‘Green.

‘It looks like a promising wonderful day, doesn’t it? I believe Madam will make the kitchen prepare some sandwiches and you’ll spend the day outside. It will do you good, miss Merel! You are looking paler and paler each day!

Merel made a grimace and looked at her reflection in the mirror. No, she didn’t. Or perhaps she did, but it was the cloudy and depressing weather, it wasn’t her fault. Lucette had told her plenty of times that she was made to live in a southern country, where it never rained, and warm nature would embrace and welcome her everyday. But her mother, on the other hand had always whispered in her ear, that the paler she looked, the more beautiful she was. Merel had heard her mother had milk bathes, but she could not believe it, because when she ordered Lucette to prepare her a milk bath, Lucette had laughed and refused to do so. Merel at the time had been a child, sweet nine years old. She was fourteen now, a mature and full grown up person.

‘Did I tell you my sister is getting married? To that Scottish sailor I told you about. He has these crazy ideas and promises that my poor sister believes with no hesitation. Don’t listen to men, Miss Merel! All lies, all lies, they only want to use you for children.

Merel smiled. Lucette had a huge balloon about to explode in less than two months time. How could old people say one thing and then do another completely different?

‘That Scottish fellow wants to take her halfway around the world. She will not like it, believe me Miss Merel.’ Lucette finished doing up the last button on the back of her dress. ‘What do you want today for your hair? Would you like me to make a bun and use the grey and red ribbon to make it still?

‘Yes please, Lucette.’

‘Could you sit down in this chair, please Miss Merel? Here, I’ll move this dirty laundry, I’ll bring it downstairs later,’ she put it on the table and Merel sat down on the chair next to her bed, while Lucette sat on her bed ‘I need to sit down, this baby will end up killing me. Listen to my piece of advice Miss Merel, no man is good influence. Look! Look the state I am now!’

‘But aren’t you happy Lucette?’

‘Oh… well, yes. But that is not the point! It’s nine months of suffering they don’t have to endure! You will see, and you will remember my words sweet miss! My sister met this man on the port one day she was on her way to work, and now they are getting married! When I was her age things did not happen that way!’ Lucette was the eldest of five, and she was ten years older than her sister. ‘There! Finished! Don’t forget to wash your face before coming downstairs for breakfast. And put some colour child, or you will vanish!’

Lucette closed the door, forgetting to take with her the dirty laundry. Merel shrugged, she would have to come upstairs to make her bed anyway and then, she would probably see it. She put on her yellow fur jacket and she rolled up her sleeves. She looked at herself in the water basin, touching the water with the point of her index, changing her image over and over again. Was she that pale? And did it matter? Wasn’t she the most charming young lady of the house? She plashed a good amount of water and a little moan escaped her lips. It was too cold, Lucette had probably put it there first thing that morning, when the house was still not warmed up. Lucette used to do that type of things, she knew Merel would not complain and she was so slow in the mornings, that from time to time she needed freezing water to wake her up. She felt much better. She looked at her face in the little mirror in front of her and smiled. She had never liked her mouth, the awful teeth, as if each of them had sprouted after she lost her milk teeth. And still, her smile was considered one of the most charming smiles of the promising ladies of Delft. Lucette said it was her eyes, which glittered at the same time she smiled, and people did not pay attention to her mouth when they were dazzled by her gaze.

Lucette had left the brush on the table. Merel took the powder blush which was next to the window and with the brush she dressed her cheeks with the colour of summer. Alessandra had taught her that he redder the colour, the more attention would be drawn on her, so Merel knew she had to apply a little bit of brown pearl and a touch of red. Her mother had forced her older sisters and her to wear jewellery since they turned twelve. Twelve was the time when girls became young ladies in her family, so Merel had been used to wearing diamonds, blue agate, and magic pearls for two years. She loved her pearl necklace; her father had given it to her when she turned thirteen. It did not matter her face was pale, as long as she wore that pearl necklace, she knew she was invincible. Merel often wondered who had found each pearl, where had it been made and the story of how her favourite piece of jewellery had been created. She had asked her father, but he did not know the answer. By the time she was ready to go down to have breakfast, the sweet sentence Lucette had told her since she was a child popped in her mind:

‘Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’

She smiled happily, it had been a while since she last thought about that. Lucette had told her, it had been her own mother who used to tell her that when she was a child. Merel probably will tell that to her daughters when she would brush their hair in front of the mirror. She would of course have Lucette helping her when her girls would be babies, and then Lucette would turn them into little women and Alessandra would teach them how to put their make up on, and they would also be friends with Lucette’s children. She smiled at her reflection. Maybe someday, someone would write a story with that same sentence. But for the time being she was happy to have a magic mirror, a sweet Lucette, yellow dresses, Alessandra’s advices for young ladies, a common smile and glittering eyes. It was going to be a wonderful spring day.