Image · Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
The Lacemaker
Johannes Vermeer · c. 1669–1671
About this masterpiece
In one of his smallest paintings, Vermeer concentrates his attention on a young woman bent intently over a lace pillow, her bobbins suspended mid-stitch. Threads of red and white cascade from a sewing cushion in the foreground, painted in bold, almost abstract strokes. The shallow depth of field and tight cropping anticipate the visual language of photography by nearly two centuries.
Historical significance
Acquired by the Louvre in 1870, The Lacemaker is one of only thirty-four surviving paintings firmly attributed to Vermeer. Salvador Dalí described it as one of the most perfect images ever made and devoted years of obsessive study to it. The painting is celebrated for its meditative stillness and exquisite handling of light.
