“Woman with a Lute” is an oil painting by Johannes Vermeer, dating from around 1662 to 1664. The artwork, a genre painting from the Baroque period, measures 51.4 x 45.7 cm and is currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York City, NY, US.
The painting depicts a young woman dressed in a yellow jacket adorned with ermine trim, seated by a table with a lute in her hands. The setting is an interior space, illuminated by light streaming in from a window on the left, which also casts a shadow on the wall beside her. Above and behind her is a large map that hangs on the wall, adding a sense of place and perhaps a nod to the Dutch interest in cartography and exploration during that era. She seems to be in a moment of pause, possibly tuning her lute or perhaps lost in contemplation. Her gaze is directed towards the window, away from the viewer, as she sits in a quietly introspective posture. The composition displays Vermeer’s characteristic use of light and shadow, as well as his attention to detail and texture, creating an intimate and serene scene that is typical of his works. The tranquil setting, the position of the woman, and the domestic details are masterfully laid out, creating a sense of harmony and poetry characteristic of Vermeer’s best-known works.
