Review of the documentary on Johannes Vermeer
What are the common features found in the
painting by Vermeer?
Do you like his works ? Why or why not?
What is Art? How to
appreciate Art? They are
difficult questions for me, as there are not enough Art’s education during my
primary and secondary school education. Art is a platform for us to express personal
feelings and creativities. In my understanding Art is something subjective.
After watching Master of Light, an
introductory documentary on Johannes Vermeer’s paintings, I grasped a deeper
understanding about the way of analysis and appreciation of art works. I
realized that there were some perspectives for Art’s analysis, helping viewers
to express their opinions more objectively. Those perspectives helped me to
gather some common features in Vermeer’s paintings, namely: the use of light,
the construction of the environment and the use of colors. In the following
film review, I will explain those common features and my personal feelings of
his art works.
The first common feature
of Vermeer’s art
works is making good use of light. In his paintings, light has a great feature
in strengthening the focus of viewers and creating the atmosphere or theme. As
light bought viewers into paintings, helping them identify the vanishing point
and main point of works. For example, in Music
lesson, Vermeer selectively manipulated the light to strengthen the focus,
which he eliminated the shadows in backdrop to emphasize the silhouettes of the
figure.[1]
In Women holding a balance, the light
was coming via the window, it brought a sense of soft, deep and rich, which
gently evolve in the painting, enriching the soft theme of the painting.[2]
Therefore, light helping viewers come into his paintings, and bring the theme
of his works to a deeper level.
The second point to be noted is the good construction of the environment,
everything in Vermeer’s painting is calculated carefully, the placing of
figures and objects had its unique meaning. For example, in Women in blue reading a letter, Vermeer
placed the women in the central point, with a pyramidal form, which partially
concealed by a chair and the dark table on the left, turned slightly away the
viewer.[3]
This placing of figure and objects shows that neither the women nor her
environment welcomes us into her physical and psychological space.[4]
In Music Lesson, Vermeer calculated
every aspects of its composition, including the figure, the musical instruments,
the mirror and other objects.[5]
All things started from the vanishing point to construct an interlocking
pattern and shape.[6] In
order to separate figures and viewers, Vermeer placed a large tapestry-covered
table, a floor with strong and diagonal pattern, providing private space and communication
for figures.[7]
Therefore, we can note the great construction and placement of Vermeer’s
painting.
The next common feature is the good use of colors, as Vermeer used color
to emphasize the main focus of the painting and bring paintings more vividly to
viewers, helping them more easily to understand his paintings. In Musical Lesson, Vermeer used the
yellow-white blouse in women’s dressing, golden color of the virginal to match
the reflected light on the back wall to highlight the figures[8].
The red of the women skirt and the floor pattern and other objects locked viewers’
eyes in his painting.[9]
In general, the combination of the color created major and minor accents in the
painting, showing the importance of the selection of color.[10]
In Girl with the red hat, Vermeer used
color to express emotions of the figure and leaded viewers concentrating on the
flame red hat as well as lushness of her blue robe.[11]
In the background, Vermeer used color to bring a sense of warmth to viewers, but
in the hat Vermeer used red, an intensely warm and active color to heighten the
immediacy of girl’s gaze.[12]
As we can see from the above example, Vermeer demonstrated his sensitivity of using
color, which made his paintings more attractive and vivid to viewers.
In my opinion, Vermeer’s painting is difficult to understand, as his
paintings were neither religious painting nor having specific style, he captured
our daily activities in his paintings. Unlike religious paintings, there were
no any stories as background of his paintings, namely: Bible. Therefore, when I
examine his paintings, I need to put down my assumptions of the message, opening
my mind to understand those paintings. At the same time, I realized that: although
he only captured some daily moments, all of them were expressed in a vivid way
- making normal into special. Which brings a reflection to me that paintings or
the art are not required to base on tremendous or importance moments of our life
or our society, it can be something more basic- our daily life, showing art can
be personal, which don’t need to depend on religious groups or countries. At
the same time, if we have enough skills, we can bring normal moments more
attractive, which is also my appreciation of Vermeer’s paintings.
Also,
Vermeer’s paintings let me realized the importance of placing objects and using
of colors in my paintings. When I was painting, I tried my best to construct
the real environment into my work, which I only consider authenticity, instead
of constructing a more vivid environment by altering its objects and colors to
best suit the entire situation. In Music
Lesson, Vermeer demonstrated his talents in placing objects in his painting
to separate figures and viewers, providing privacy space for figures. Which I
never thought before, I realized that art was sometime not realistic, we can
alter some details in order to have greatest visual effects. Therefore, I have
a meaningful lesson after analyzing Vermeer’s paintings, improving me soft
skills to construct my paintings.
To conclude, Vermeer’s paintings were leading his generation, ranging
from the use of colors, the placing of objects to the construction of the
environment. I believe that by analyzing his paintings, we can all gain
something. Due to my inadequate knowledge in paining, I can only realize some
basic problems of my works, however Vermeer’s paintings can be my life time
teacher. When I keep improving my knowledge in painting, I can gain more from
Vermeer’ works, not only in basic like colors, but also on a deeper level,
namely: emotion and calculation of paintings.
Reference:
The Master of Light. Directed by Joe
Krakora. USA: National Gallery of Art, 2001. Film. Wheelock K. Arthur. JR, Vermeer the Art of Painting. New Haven:
Yale University Press 1995.
[1] The Master of Light,
Directed by Joe Krakora (USA: National Gallery of Art, 2001), Film.
[2] The Master of Light, Directed by Joe Krakora, Film.
[3] Arthur K. Wheelock, JR, Vermeer
the Art of Painting (New Haven: Yale University Press 1995), 7.
[4] Wheelock, Vermeer the Art of
Painting, 7.
[5] The Master of Light,
Directed by Joe Krakora.
[6] The Master of Light,
Directed by Joe Krakora.
[7] The Master of Light,
Directed by Joe Krakora.
[8] The Master of Light,
Directed by Joe Krakora.
[9] The Master of Light,
Directed by Joe Krakora.
[10] The Master of Light,
Directed by Joe Krakora.
[11] The Master of Light,
Directed by Joe Krakora.
[12] The Master of Light,
Directed by Joe Krakora.
