A Young Woman seated at a Virginal
- Artist: Johannes Vermeer
- Date: about 1670-2
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Young Woman seated at a Virginal" painted by Johannes Vermeer. The light in the painting comes from in front, which is unusual for Vermeer. You'll notice that it's glinting off the woman's heavily dilated pupils and the base viol in the foreground.
Take a look at the picture hanging on the wall behind her - it's "The Procuress" by Dirck van Baburen. This scene depicts a prostitute flirting with a client, which is quite different from what we see in this painting. Vermeer often painted musical scenes like this, but he tended to leave us unsure about how to interpret them.
Here, the background picture gives a strong hint that maybe the woman isn't just playing music for its own sake. The viol in front of her could suggest she's waiting for an accompanist, and there are some interesting associations between the instrument's shape and women's bodies. This painting may have been made to contrast with another work by Vermeer, "A Young Woman standing at a Virginal", which shows a more faithful and monogamous love.
Vermeer painted this around 1670-2, using oil on canvas. It's an intriguing piece that leaves us wondering about the woman's intentions, don't you think?
See it in person
A Young Woman seated at a Virginal hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
