\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 This painting is very likely a portrait of VermeerÆs wife, Catharina, painted when she was pregnant. The canvas is characte
rized by the clear and geometrical simplicity with which individual objects are defined: the tall chairs upholstered in blue and brought to life by the light glinting off their golden studs; the books; the pearl necklace lying almost forgotten on the tab
le, along with the cloth that introduces a note of haphazard into an otherwise perfectly arranged setting.\par
A large map hangs on the wall in the background; its texture is enhanced by the play of light which comes from the left of the painting, appar
ently entering through a window. In fact the work is made up of a series of foreshortened views of the objects within it, so that each is presented from a particular aspect and never in its totality, forming a precise line of perspective. \par
The lig
ht falls on the table and is reflected onto the bust of the young woman, gently revealing her swollen belly. It molds the blues of her smock and emphasizes the possessive way in which she clasps the letter, as well as the perfection of her face.\par
Th
e color tones range from the lemon yellow of the womanÆs skirt to a pearl gray with slightly emphasized accents, and then shade into contrasts of black and white. This harmony of coloring, typical of the artistÆs mature work, tells us that the early lig
