Why it matters
An artist, seen from behind, paints a model dressed in blue in front of a large map of the Low Countries. Vermeer's most complex composition is usually read as an allegory of painting; according to Albert Blankert, no other painting so flawlessly integrates naturalistic technique, brightly illuminated space and a complex composition.
Did you know?
- It is signed but not dated, and was probably painted around 1665–1668.
- It is Vermeer's third-largest painting.
- It is owned by the Austrian Republic.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Art of Painting (CC BY-SA 4.0).
