Log in or Sign up
Antiques Board
Home
Forums
>
Antique Forums
>
Art
>
A Cupid Revealed in a Vermeer Painting after 300 Years
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="Any Jewelry, post: 618689, member: 2844"]Vermeer put the cupid in to indicate the girl is reading a love letter. Being a Catholic in a Calvinist Protestant region, he was a master of hidden meanings. Just about every one of his paintings has a message, often religious or political.</p><p>The use of the cupid painting is a very obvious one.</p><p>Here it is again, behind the lady playing the virginal:</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://kunstblik.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/vermeer_staande_virginaalspeelster.jpg?w=501&h=570" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>My guess is he owned the cupid painting himself, or his rich mother-in-law did. I also guess some later owner of the reading girl didn't like nudity.<img src="styles/default/xenforo/smilies/rolleyes.png" class="mceSmilie" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>The difference in the size of the cupid in both paintings is also interesting. It is bigger in the reading girl painting. Maybe love is more important there, young love, first love? The girl is a young girl and the window is open.</p><p>The lady playing the virginal is older, and the window is closed. She is not 'free' but there is still love, maybe newly wed? The chair next to her is empty, maybe a merchant husband, like Vermeer himself. The virginal is the symbol of pure love.</p><p><br /></p><p>That is just the photograph, probably taken by someone from the team of restorers who was a first time photographer. Most of the painting hasn't been cleaned yet, only the top right hand corner where you can see part of the cupid appear. The rest looks very faded and glistening with old veneer, so just a bad photo.</p><p>The restorers said that the person who painted over the cupid 'restored' much of the painting using dark paint to match the already darkened veneer. Much of the detail was lost.</p><p>It will look beautiful and much brighter and more detailed when restored. It will be more like Vermeer painted it, and I think he would approve.</p><p>Vermeer paintings should be bright and brilliant (in every sense of the word) even when the hidden meaning is sometimes a bit more troubled than in this one.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Any Jewelry, post: 618689, member: 2844"]Vermeer put the cupid in to indicate the girl is reading a love letter. Being a Catholic in a Calvinist Protestant region, he was a master of hidden meanings. Just about every one of his paintings has a message, often religious or political. The use of the cupid painting is a very obvious one. Here it is again, behind the lady playing the virginal: [IMG]https://kunstblik.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/vermeer_staande_virginaalspeelster.jpg?w=501&h=570[/IMG] My guess is he owned the cupid painting himself, or his rich mother-in-law did. I also guess some later owner of the reading girl didn't like nudity.:rolleyes: The difference in the size of the cupid in both paintings is also interesting. It is bigger in the reading girl painting. Maybe love is more important there, young love, first love? The girl is a young girl and the window is open. The lady playing the virginal is older, and the window is closed. She is not 'free' but there is still love, maybe newly wed? The chair next to her is empty, maybe a merchant husband, like Vermeer himself. The virginal is the symbol of pure love. That is just the photograph, probably taken by someone from the team of restorers who was a first time photographer. Most of the painting hasn't been cleaned yet, only the top right hand corner where you can see part of the cupid appear. The rest looks very faded and glistening with old veneer, so just a bad photo. The restorers said that the person who painted over the cupid 'restored' much of the painting using dark paint to match the already darkened veneer. Much of the detail was lost. It will look beautiful and much brighter and more detailed when restored. It will be more like Vermeer painted it, and I think he would approve. Vermeer paintings should be bright and brilliant (in every sense of the word) even when the hidden meaning is sometimes a bit more troubled than in this one.[/QUOTE]
Your name or email address:
Do you already have an account?
No, create an account now.
Yes, my password is:
Forgot your password?
Stay logged in
Antiques Board
Home
Forums
>
Antique Forums
>
Art
>
A Cupid Revealed in a Vermeer Painting after 300 Years
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Registered Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...