The description of the art work

The painting describes a story of a painter is drawing a young lady who wears a crown of laurel leaves and holds her trumpet and book. She stands motionless, her downcast eyes turned towards an oak table, on which there are large manuscript book and some drapes and an oversized mask, the edge of which is just visible on the left of the detail shown.

The long-haired artist, who turns his head to study his model, probably represents Vermeer. He is wearing a floppy velvet beret, slitted jacket and breeches, very similar to the fanciful attire worn by the grinning observer in The Procuress.

The picture should not be regarded as a literal depiction of an artist’s studio; the elegant room has few signs of the clutter that would be expected there. A brush, barely visible, and a maulstick are shown, but there is no sign of any paints, although presumably there is a palette hidden behind the artist’s left shoulder. It is curious that the artist should begin the figure by painting the laurel wreath, rather than the face; also, a maulstick would normally be unnecessary when there was litter paint on the canvas. All this is a reminder that The Art of Painting is an allegory.