A love letter

Here you have the story that I created for Claire Firth based on the painting called The Music Lesson:

 

Dear John,

I know that since you went to war you have not received any letter in my own handwriting, and that you did not expect this letter, and not to mention the sketch that I attach you. However, the truth is that I felt compelled to write you because last night I had a dream in which you were the protagonist.

This dream I am talking about was not an ordinary dream but a kind of flashback to what you and I lived a few months ago, before your departure to hostile lands.

Now that I look back in time I realize how much time has passed since the last time we met, and the dream that I had yesterday has much to do with this: last night I dreamt about past times, I dreamt about happier times and about the scenes that you and me starred at your home.
Last night I remembered the day we met for first time; I remembered how my father spoke to yours about me, telling him how virtuous I was and the great skill that I had in arts: in the art of singing, in the art of reciting poetry, in the art of playing the virginal, but above all for, in the art of painting. Being your father fascinated with these virtues, he had no doubt that I would be the perfect wife for his only son and heir, you.

I must admit that at first, the idea of marrying when I was only 17 years old did not satisfy me too much, and much less with a man 10 years older than me. I was rather frightened by I changed my opinion the day that we met for first time:
I remember being nervous and how when we were less than half an hour to arrive to your house and I told my mother in the

carriage that  I was still very young. However, she did not care my opinion but the economic benefit that she and my father would obtain by marrying off their eldest daughter with a wealthy man, so she said: “‘Honey, it is law of life!”.

Then we arrived to your house, and you walked out to greet us. That was the first time in which your eyes met mine; a pair of dark brown eyes as big and deep that it was very easy to be succumbed to them, and that’s when I realized that I already loved you.
You bow and you held out your hand to me with exquisite manners, I was still nervous, but this time the feeling that I had was different: This time my nerves were made me to be impatient, to want to be alone with you and in that way to give me the chance to know more about you; these nerves were nerves of curiosity, I think that these were nerves of love.

And then came the most important moment. You invited me to walk into a not very big room, but very well lit up. A room in which every detail was important: the table, the carpet, the marble floor… However, I only paid attention to one element, to the musical instrument that was near the table on which your maid had left a pitcher of water because as I can remember, that was an extremely hot day.
I also remember how you did not try to stop me and that you let me to seat in front of the virginal, and that was when I started playing one of my favorite pieces and meanwhile, you were just listening to my music, and enjoying my art.

Well, my last night´s dream was about this scene, about our first meeting, about this room, about this virginal and about that feeling of calm that I had when I looked into your eyes and saw that you were going to be my future husband. Nevertheless,

whenever I think of you, I not only remember this pretty mental image, but I also remember the day on which you opened this damned letter sent by the King. I understand that the King wanted every man in the country to go to war, but I cannot understand how he will not exclude you just because as is well known by all, you are incapable to harm anybody.

I remember also how I thought that my world was falling apart this day, the same day in which you gave me my first kiss. I remember that I was angry with you and I that I tried to forget you, but it was impossible because you also appeared in my deepest dreams. However, my anger disappeared last night with the dream, and because now I have realized that they forced you to go to war, that you did not want it, that you wanted to stay with me.

Therefore, I include this little sketch that I have done this morning while drinking a cup of coffee on the terrace of my room. It’s just a small picture of us on our first date; so that wherever you are do not forget me, because I will be waiting until you come back. I will be waiting you with love.

I hope you like this small gift as well as this letter and I hope also we meet soon to play music together.

With all my love,

 

 

Maggie

 

 

A story behind a Mirror

As I have mentioned in many other articles, one of the mist important elements that the spectator could see in The Music Lesson, is the mirror that is hung on the main wall of the central scene.

In this article what I am going to try to do is to explain the intention of Vermeer when he decided to include this element and which are the elements that this object reflects.

Let’s begin saying that one of the thing that we can see reflected in the mirror is a reflection of a corner of the table, but we can also see what appears to be the legs of the artist’s easel and behind that, maybe a leg of Vermeer’s stool.  However, and as some art specialists as Philip Steadman have established, there is another element in the top left hand corner of the painting: a small rectangle. But, what is this small rectangle of?

As Philip Steadman wondered that little rectangle could be a glimpse of the back wall:

Finally, and if we already know the position and size of everything in the room, we  could work out the angle of the mirror easily enough because we could see the corner of the table both in the room and in the reflection, and  then, we would know the exact length of the room(something which had never been worked out before). It turns out that the dimension corresponds nicely to an exact number of repeats of the tile pattern on the floor. It also allows for three equal-sized and equally-spaced windows, of which only two are generally visible in the paintings. Not only that but Philip Steadman is one of those analysts that looked at some of Vermeer’s paintings, and found that when he carried the angles of view in a number of the paintings back to meet the back wall, via the viewpoint of the picture, the size of the resulting rectangle on the back wall was the same, in each case, as that of the actual painting. This was for paintings that were of varying sizes, and whose viewpoint in the room was not the same in each case:

Sources:

-Grand Illusions Article: The Mystery in the Mirror. Retrieved on 23 May from http://www.google.es/search?q=As+Philip+Steadman+wondered+that+little+rectangle+could+be+a+glimpse+of+the+back+wall&rls=com.microsoft:es:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GPEA_es

Vermeer´s Camera Obscura

As it is known but many art specialists, the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer became a master in the use of the camera obscura. But, what does this term mean?

Well, the camera obscura is a simple optical device incorporating a pinhole or lens, with which an image of a scene can be projected onto a screen. The image can then be traced and copied. Not only that, but there is a book entitled “Vermeer´s Camera” that starts trying to explore the painter’s possible contacts in the world of 17th century with the optical science. As we have seen in class Vermeer painted as many as a dozen pictures of just one room, so as Steadman (an art specialist) establishes, there must be a reason to explain how it is possible to reconstruct the geometry of this room, and all the furniture in it, with great precision. The response to this question is found on the use of the camera obscura: Steadman demonstrated how Vermeer set up a camera obscura in this room and projected images of some of his most famous works onto the back wall. The room had been rebuilt as a model and at full size, allowing photographic reconstructions of the paintings to be made.

How the camera obscura works? To answer this question lets look at this photo:

I represents the “Cubicle-type camera obscura” illustrated by Athanasius Kircher in ‘Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae’, 1646. This actually incorporates two cameras facing in opposite directions. In either case, the artist sees the image (upside-down) on the back of a translucent screen.

The importance of a figure: Joseph Pennell

He was the first person to suggest that Vermeer might have used some kind of optical aid to painting. He was an American artist and photographer Joseph Pennell, as long ago as 1891. He pointed to Vermeer’s ‘photographic perspective’ the fact that he depicts real objects such as wall-maps with extreme fidelity; and the fact that he seems to reproduce in paint some idiosyncrasies of optical images and ‘out-of-focus’ effects that would not be visible to the naked eye.

a photograph taken by Henry Beville that simulates out-of-focus effects in Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Red Hat’.

Sources:

-Vermeer´s Camera. Uncovering the truth behind the Masterpieces. Retrieved 23 May from http://www.vermeerscamera.co.uk/bookhome.htm

A Poem inspired on Vermeer

The painting I have been working on , The Music Lesson, has not only became an inspiration for other Dutch painters, but it has also served as an inspiration for many poets and writers.

As an example of that here we have an interesting poem written by Mary Oliver in 1978 on which the author tries to tell us the story that is narrated in Vermeer´s painting from the point of view of the cavalier:

                        Sometimes, in the middle of the lesson,

                        we exchanges places. She would gaze a moment at her hands

                        spread over the keys; then the small house with its knickknacks,

                        its shut windows,

 

                        its photographs of her sons and the serious husband,

                        vanished as new shapes formed. Sound

                        became music, and music a white

                        scarp for the listener to climb

 

                        alone. I leaped rock over rock to the top

                        and found myself waiting, transformed,

                        and still she played, her eyes luminous and willful,

                        her pinned hair falling down –

 

                        forgetting me, the house, the neat green yard,

                        she fled in that lick of flame all tedious bonds:

                        supper, the duties of flesh and home,

                        the knife at the throat, the death in the metronome.

 As it can be seen in the first lines of this poem, it is opened with a reference to the music teacher that is sitting at the piano who is explaining that sometimes he changes his place and lets his student to play the instrument to enjoy the music.

 In the second and on the third stanzas we find how the music teacher is lost in her lonely, loveless and ordered life and that she finds expression in her music, an intimacy that exists nowhere else in “the small house with its knickknacks/ its shut windows”.

 In the last stanza we have the image of that this woman lives in a tidy world and that she plays music to escape the entrapment of her life, to allow for a moment of passion to be present.

Sources:

-This Writing Life: “Music Lesson” by Mary Oliver 1978. Retrieved 22 May from  http://noelduffy.blogspot.com/2011/02/music-lesson-by-mary-oliver-1978.html

Windows Patterns in Vermeer´s Paintings

If we pay attention to more than one dozen of Vermeer´s paintings we can notice that the greater part of the artist’s oeuvre, are of course representations of domestic interiors and that just a few of these show distinctive and unique spaces.

The great majority of them seem to depict just a few rooms repeatedly, with sitters and furniture rearranged. It is possible to draw some tentative conclusions about how many rooms might be involved, by making an inventory of their architectural features: floor tiles, wooden ceilings, and characteristic patterns of leading in the window panes.

Paying attention to the patterns that Johannes Vermeer followed when drawing the windows of his paintings, we can notice how the main motives are based mainly on squares and on circles. To prove this, just look at the following photos in which a comparison between different paintings is developed:

A) The Glass of Wine                                          B) Girl with a Wineglass                                                                    C) The Music Lesson

 References:

• Vermeer´s Camera: Uncvering the Truth behind the masterpieces: The Music Lesson . Retrieved on May 15, 2011 from http://www.vermeerscamera.co.uk/chapter4.htm

Virginal´s Symbolism

As we have seen in the different presentations that we have done with Claire Firth in class, there so many paintings in which we can se the music instrument called a virginal. However, Vermeer´s intention was not just to introduce this element just to suggest the idea of music, but also to emphasize some other ideas that are hidden behind the use of this element. So, that is what I will try to explain in this article, the importance of the virginal and its symbolism in the picture that I am working on, The Music Lesson.

At the very begining of the 17th century, the virginal was an instrument greatly admired by the Dutch rich people . The Iyrical tones that resonated from its keyboard underscored the refinement that accompanied the increase of wealth and influence enjoyed by this society. The music and the lyrics written for the virginal, were much about human and spiritual love: the lyrics that often accompanied the music extolled love, and the solace that could be gained from it. The sentiments the music expressed and the role they played within the upper echelons of Dutch society frequently were inscribed on the instruments themselves. The text on the lid of the virginal in The Music Lesson reads: “Mvsica letitiae co[me]s medicina dolor[vm]” (Music: companion of joy, balm for sorrow):

Of the many paintings from the period  the virginal, none captures as well as Vermeer’s the balance and harmony of its music or the elegance and refinement of the world to which it belonged. Every object in Vermeer’s  interiors is  carefully identified as the notes in a song by Huygens.

Description of the instrument:

 The virginal is like a large wardrobe with elaborately painted decorative elements covering its various surfaces mark it as one of Vermeer´s finest productions. That Vermeer gave such prominence to the virginal and that a family expended the vast sum that such an outstanding instrument would indicate the importance of this instrument in Dutch society.

To judge from the number of depictions of maidens seated or standing at such instruments from the 1650s and 1660s by Frans van Mieris, Jan Steen, Gerard ter Borch, Gerard Dou, Gabriel Metsu, and Vermeer, a young woman’s proficiency in this art was greatly esteemed in Vermeer´s times.Not only that, but  a music teacher was often retained to instruct the young woman. Once having mastered the art she would perform, proficiency at the virginal,  also served a social function, for it facilitated polite contact between men and women.

Artists were fascinated with the nature of that contact, and exploited the theme of the music lesson or concert as a vehicle for depicting the sensuality as well as the social acceptability of a woman playing such an instrument. Sometimes, as in Jan Steen’s Harpsichord Lesson in the Wallace Collection, the music master’s attentions to the attractive pupil are seen as lecherous, but usually a spirit of sensual harmony pervades the scene that is not out of keeping with the elevated ideals inscribed on the instruments.In Steen’s Music Master, c. 1659, for example, the man’s attentive attitude conveys an ease and familiarity with the woman, yet nothing in his demeanor or in her upright posture suggests that they are disrespectful of the elevated sentiments plainly visible on the cover of the harpsichord: “Soli Deo Gloria.” Indeed, rather than a music master, it seems more probable that the man is a suitor who, moved by the woman’s beauty and that of her music, feels in perfect harmony with his beloved.

A comparable feeling of harmony pervades Vermeer’s Girl Interrupted at Her Music from the early 1660s, where an attentive gentleman assists a young woman with her sheet music. A painting of Cupid on the wall affirms that there is a feeling of love between them. Similarly, the man who is in The Music Lesson is almost certainly not a music master, and his presence must be  explained in another way: He is an aristocratic gentleman, perhaps a cavalier, dressed in a  black costume that is accented by a white collar.

Music was  used as a metaphore that suggested the harmony of  these souls in love and  the presence of the bass viol on the floor in Vermeer’s Music Lesson may serve a similar thematic function. As Cats explained in his text:

 ”the emblem “Qvid Non Sentit Amor” means that the resonances of one lute echo onto the other just as two hearts can exist in total harmony even if they are separated”.

As a conclusion I have decide to include this video in which a piece of music written for a virginal is reconstructed:

Sources:

-Artchive: An excerpt from the excellent book “Vermeer & the Art of Painting”, by Arthur K. and Wheelock, Jr.Retrieved on April 21, 2011 from http://www.artchive.com/vermeer/vermeer2.html

- Youtube: Jan Vermeer at work while listening to virginal music. Retrieved on April 21, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1n1JQlaWcA]

The Music Lesson: Technical details about the painting

 

The Music Lesson has been estimated to be painted between 1662 and 1665. the medium of the work is oil on canvas and the painting measures 74.6 x 64.1 centimeters. Not only that, but the painting that I have chosen could be found in the Royal Collection. However, what is the Royal Collection?

Well, the Royal Collection is the name given to the amount of literary works, maps, books and textiles that are held by the Queen of England as sovereign for her sucessors and the Nation. Today, this collection is located in St James Palace in London, so that is where we can see nowadays the painting that I am analyzing .

Now, I am going to proceed to discuss the most important elementsthat  we find in this picture and to explain their meaning. To do that, I will try to follow an strategic order: I will start from the left of the painting exposing the importance of light in Vermeer´s paintings and explaining why did the author decided to use a marble floor and not another one. Then, I will focus on the main scene of the painting, that is, the girl playing the virginal and the gentleman looking at her, and finally,  I will explain the importance that the picture that appears in the upper right side as well as the reasons for which Vermeer decided to include a white jar and a table covered by a wonderful carpet.

Begining with the analysis of the windows, it is important to say how The Music Lesson is the only painting with two series of windows in Vermeer´s collection. Not only thay, but when looking at th we notice that they are big windows, an that was something very characteristic of Dutch buildings, because this kind of window allowed to be too muc light in the room. So, in this case, the windows are used to illuminate the whole scene. Another important thing is that there are not curtains, and that is very strange because in Vermeer´s times, curtains were hung to maintain a sense of privacy and silent dialogue inside the room, but this is not the case. The action is open to the audience.

Paying attention now to the floor, it is important to pointout how it is made by marble. Marble was considered to be a luxurious feature destined only to the very rich people, so, and as some art specialists have said,Vermeer had probably visited some luxurious places, such as the local Deft Town Hall or the palace in Rijswijk, in order to use this type of floor on his paintings.

Turning now to the main scene of the painting, it is important to talk about the virginal: it is a keyboard instrument that when it is closed it looks like a long wardrobe but when it is opened the visual effect that it creates is very striking because of the beauty of the printed papers that decorate all the front of the instrument. Besides, in this case, the virginal is decorated by flowers and sea horses, and it is very original because any patron of this motive has been found yet.

If we pay attention to the girl we see how her hands are hidden from the audience which means that the painter wanted to emphasize less the specific of the woman and her music that the abstract concepts that her music embodies, such as harmony, joy or pleasure. However, and if we focus on the man, we can see how his position is completely different: his pose marks the authority that he has on the girl and his mouth is opened, which indicates that he was probably singing. Not only that, but there has been too much controversy about the role played by this gentleman because as the examination of X-rays has proved, the initial position of the gentleman was closer to the girl, creating an stronger bond between both figures:

The same happened with the viola: it was supposed to be added later on for iconographic motives. Besides, this music instrument is a constant symbol used in Vermeer´s paintings. However, the way in which it is represented is in a passive way, like waiting someone to play it.

Talking now about the picture that appears on the right of the painting, it is important to say how some specialists have identified it as the one painted by Matthias Stomes called Cimon and Pero. There is also a parallel between this picture and The Music Lesson, because  if paying attention to the figure of Cimon, we notice how he has chains on his hands. These chains symbolize the limitations of the man, so in the case of Vermeer´s painting it can be interpreted as that the gentleman that stands near the girl playing the virginal is limited just to hear the girl and not to play the music instrument. Not only that, but as it happened in the mythological story of Cimon and Pero, the man was seduced by the beauty of the woman ( his daugher), so there could be also a kind of parallel with The Music Lesson because as some critics think, the cavalier of Vermeer´s painting was in love with the girl.

Finally, and if we pay attention to the right side of the painting we notice the presence of two important elements: the jar and the table. The jar is white ad made of metal; it sis the characteristic model that Italian artists tried to create or develop during the 16th and the 17th centuries inItaly. It is very difficult to see them, but there are too many details on this jar,nd the same happens with the carpet that covers the table. Both elements are decorative elements of extreme luxury and that is because high class people were very much interested in appearances. It means that all these luxurious objects gave these people the opportunity to represent the higher classes of the society and in the same way to put them in the spotlight of the whole society.

As a conclusion, and bearing in mind all the things that have been mentioned before, I have to say that I decided to analyze this painting because although it represents a daily life action, to play music, there must be something hiden behind each of the elements that appears on it. Not only that, but the apparent simplicity of the panting has offered me the opportunity to think about many themes and possible topics for my final creative narrative.

Here you have some of the references that I have used:

-Class notes on Baroque art in Holland: J. Vermeer. Retrieved on April 21, 2011 from http://apuntesdeclasedearte.blogspot.com/2009/06/pintura-barroca-en-holanda-vermeer.html

-Observatorio: una obra de arte diaria. La lección de Música, 1662-1665. Retrieved on april 21, 2011 from  http://arte.observatorio.info/2007/12/la-leccion-de-musica-johannes-vermeer-1662/

-The Complete Interactive Vermeer Catalogue: The Music Lesson. Retrieved on April 21, 2011 from http://arte.observatorio.info/2007/12/la-leccion-de-musica-johannes-vermeer-1662/