A Lady Standing at a Virginal

A Lady Standing at a Virginal is a Johannes Vermeer painting that dates back to 1672 showcasing a rich mastery in brush strokes and techniques.

The elegant art piece showcases a woman standing in the focal compositional viewpoint of the middle of the frame as she stares directly at the viewer.

The woman's sharp stare towards the viewers grasps one's attention leaving them to ponder the thought process of the woman. An array of questions arises causing the viewer to wonder why exactly does the woman stare at the viewer. Vermeer had commonly transitioned the muses in his paintings to ignore the event occurring around them and instead focuses on staring at the viewer.

This soft movement of the head holds the power to completely alter the painting as the muse acknowledges the presence of the viewer.

A few other painting's by Vermeer that include a model starring at the viewer of the artwork includes A Lady Writing, A Lady and Two Gentlemen, and A Young Woman Seated at an Virginal. These artworks add a sophisticated spin to the painting as an array of questions is upraised.

The paintings become an acknowledgement of the character's that the work is in fact a painting rather than offering a glimpse into the event. Alongside, when the muse stares outside of the painting, an added emotion of dominance and intelligence is added as they sneak their way apart from the common events occurring.

The painting reveals a young woman standing sideways at a virginal with her hands gently placed against it. A new glimpse of Vermeer is revealed as he transitions the dress of the woman into a more elaborate piece with an array of new fabrics and textures. It is unknown whether the dress in fact resembled the one showcased within the painting or if it is a part of the artist's imagination.

The dress holds a deep blue upper section that ruffles through the sleeves into a white fabric. Small glimpse of red and gold are illustrated on the dress through tiny beads. The bottom of the dress flares out towards a linear drapery, curving around towards the floor.

The woman's pale face is blurred out gently as the lack of pigment gives it a grey colour and a lack of life. It is evident that the artist focused the artwork to be specifically based on the life of the dress rather than other aspects of the painting.

However the surrounding of the woman continues to be filled with an array of art, which adds different artistic elements within. A small painting hangs near the left of the wall covered in a gold frame. Within the middle of the wall a large portrait of a nude baby angle hangs covered in a deep dark frame.

The woman is facing a painting directly upon the virginal that illustrates a grand landscape covered in blue and green pigment. It is unknown whether these exact paintings existed or whether they were primarily based on the artist's artistic imagination.

Finally the classic area in which the artwork is based is a common area illustrated throughout Vermeer's paintings as it is easily identified through the checker floor and mosaic window on the left.