Interpretation

This painting describe an ordinary event happened in an artist’s studio. But it is meaningful, suggestive and allegorical. There are two figures appear in the drawing. The artist dressed fancifully. It indicates his occupation as an artist. On the other hand, nothing here is reminiscent of a studio: there is no palette, no paint, no tools of the trade’s except the brush and the mahl-stick. Thus the painter – often taken as being Vermeer himself - is wearing timeless clothes and working in a timeless place, a theatre set. Referring to his new premises in 1661’s work, he was directly concerned with the architectural and decorative choices involved and wanted painting to be given real symbolic emphasis. He decided not to show himself a work in his studio, but to create a kind of Allegory of painting – or more simply. Vermeer's source is a reference in Cesare Ripa's Iconology. Rpia describes Clio as ‘a maiden with a laurel garland, who holes a trumpet in her right hand and with the left a book.’ Hence every single object appears in the picture is suggestive. The fat book is doubtless a “lives of the artists”, the laurel wreath and the trumpet may well symbolize Fame and the book History; for Vermeer these emblems were part of the painter destiny. Also the atmosphere is one of utter serenity and peace as Vermeer gives his lesion in wisdom: painting is not a frenetic business, and should jolt neither the eye nor the mind.