One of the greatest paintings of its time IMHO, unlike many Dutch masterpieces of the era (portraits for the wealthy merchants), it captures a woman of low standing going about a routine task, in brilliant detail and composition.
I feel very privileged to find a community to discuss art after leaving the big R. May it long continue :)
Tim’s Vermeer (2013)
This is a really excellent documentary produced by Teller from Penn and Teller. I highly recommend it, especially for any artist who has ever wondered if they were "cheating" in their art production. It has great insight into the tools available in the 1600s, and into the human desire for "magic" as an explanation.
Just boosting that with a little context, I'd hate for someone to skip over the raw link.
It's good to know, I really respect the craft and intelligent of Penn and Teller. Good to have context for Vermeer, even his own life is fascinating - bolstered by rich merchants and noblemen and then crushed after later wars between the Netherlands and other countries.