Jan Vermeer (1632-75) painted Woman Holding a Balance in
about 1664. The painting is now in the National Gallery, London.
Vermeer was a genius at painting stillness but keeping it
interesting. His paintings always pose questions or – as in this case – teaching
a lesson. Every detail in this painting has something important to say.
A woman stands at a table, on which is an open jewelry box
from which he has taken her pearls and gold coins. She holds a simple balance
in one hand, although she is not actually weighing anything yet. It may be that
she is about to check whether her coins are the correct weight and have not had
their edges trimmed by an untrustworthy merchant or banker.
Balance is the theme of this painting, because it is not
just the comparison of gold coins that is at stake. The painting on the wall
behind the woman depicts the Last Judgment with the souls of the dead being
held in the balance. The lower half of the painting shows the damned being sent
to Hell.
Another factor to bear in mind is that the woman is
pregnant, with the light that filters through the shuttered window falling on
her bump. Pregnancy was a dangerous business at this time, with death in
childbirth being a distinct possibility.
Another balance presented here is that between light and
dark, there being a marked contrast between the woman’s white clothing and the
dark background. Vermeer draws attention to the bright pearls on the table that
are clearly visible against the dark box and cloth on the table.
Attention also falls squarely on the woman’s face and her
mood of contemplation, portrayed by her tilted head and almost closed eyes. As
she values her treasures it would seem that she is mulling over the meaning of
value itself. This notion is reinforced by the presence of a mirror on the wall
opposite her, this being suggestive of quiet self-contemplation.
The message of the painting is therefore that one’s life is
subject to judgment and the balance between life and death, and Heaven and
Hell, is a narrow one.
© John Welford
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