Inspiration and characteristics of The Girl with a Wine glass

It is a well known fact that Vermeer was not a particularly innovative artist and drew compositioal and thematic contents directly from his fellow painters. In particular, the painting which seems to have inspired The Girl with a WIne glass is Peter de Hoogh’s Woman Drinking with Soldiers (1658). De Hoogh was the first artist to set such a theme in a well-defined three-dimensional space illuminated by a bright coherent lighting system. In a certain sense, for the first time, De Hoogh had made the description of space as important as the figures themselves. Many critics assert that Vermeer went one step further and made space and light the true subjects of his canvases.

Another thing to point out is the presence of the theme of courtship in Vermeer’s paintings. A great many paintings of courtship refer to the difficulty of resisting the tempations of the flesh and the dangers of giving into passions, particularly under the influence of wine and tabacco. In the mid-17th century, artists created words with such content which undoubtedly influenced Vermeer. Wine, which had to be imparted, was far more costly than locally produced Dutch beer and was therefore a sign of social refinement. De Lairesse’s manore a ual for painters illustrates how the artist might indicate the social status of his sitter by the way in which they hold their glasses. The gesture of the girl holding the glass in The Girl with a Wine glass seems the most refined of all.

Reference – http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/girl_with_a_wine_glass.html#

Who posed for The Girl with a Wine glass painting?

Not a single sitter in Vermeer’s painting has ever been identified. The most obvious candidate would be Janet Vogel whose coat of arms stands out on the opened window. However, documents show that she had died eight years before Vermeer was ever born. Another candidate might be Maria de Knuijt, the wife of Vermeer’s wealthy Delft patron, Pieter van Ruijven, since it is extremely likely that this painting was part of their family collection. We know that in Maria’s will she bequeathed to Vermeer 500 florins. This sum was comparable to the cost of from one to three expensive cabinet pictures. Such a bequest, made to a painter, who was not a family member, to be possibly unique. It thus counts as a gesture of special esteem and commitment to the painter’s well-being. Maria de Knuijt might have been acting on behalf of her husband, but she evidently had brought the far greater share of money to the marriage, and her taste must have been taken into account. As a supporter of the Orthodox wing of the Reformed church, De Knuijt might have found particularly appealing the chaste dignity that informs Vermeer’s interpretations of femininity.

Reference – http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/girl_with_a_wine_glass.html#