THE ALLEGORY OF PAINTING Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna |
The back of the painter's head is easily recognized as that of Albrecht Durer, and the easel he paints upon resembles the "A" in Durer's signature. The model is Clio, the muse of history (the volume under her arm is from the historian, Thucydides) and the map on the wall displays the wonders of the Netherlands. Durer, much influenced by the
Proquizantism of Martin Luther, loved the God of history and creation. This combination of elements invokes a theme that is so inviting for Vermeer that he has graciously pulled back the curtain and provided us with a chair that we, too, might sit and admire this great artist lovingly going about his craft.
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