Arranging the Picture
Johannes Vermeer
Young Woman with a Water Pitcher
ca. 1662
Oil on canvas, 45.7 × 40.6 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Light from the window at left falls on the headdress and collar, then turns the pitcher and basin gold.
- On the Met's audio guide, the light is said to be "guiding me around the room."
- A dark, shadowy corner at lower left, the guide adds, lets you discover the picture a little at a time.
- Notice which part you looked at first.
Concepts
Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York · Public Domain (Met Open Access)