Girl with a glass of wine - Jan Vermeer




















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The interior scene that Vermeer has painted has become familiar to him if you see the previous painting Glass of wine you will notice that the window is the same in both paintings and the although the theme of the picture on the wall has changed it is in the same place and approximately the same size.
The scene itself can be seen as a scene of seduction when Vermeer was painting art was used a moral warning and indeed was indicative of the morals of the people of the times. Here you see a young woman accepting a glass of wine from a man who is leaning attentively over her. Generally wine was considered to be a warning of licentiousness and abandon.
Although the woman seems to be being seduced its not the case as she is looking outward towards us the viewers and inviting us in to her little world and the scheme she has is to seduce the two men. The woman in the picture is smiling towards us with a knowing smile and has a dress on that would be used to impress rather than normal everyday wear. A warning against this sort of behavior can be seen in the window to the left of the girl its shapes and colours are of a woman holding a bridle and a level. The bridle is a symbol of self control and the whole symbolises temperance, this along with the staid portrait behind the figures is probably a warning to control ones own licentious thoughts

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