A meticulous and careful painter whose innovations were not well-known outside his native city, he may have produced about fifty paintings in just over twenty years, of which about thirty-five survive. Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) was born and spent his comparatively brief career in Delft. As seen in other paintings by Vermeer and his contemporaries, the conical shape in style in the mid-1660s was achieved by wearing a flared jacket over a thick skirt turned over at the waist. For some viewers, her shape suggests pregnancy, which would have been an untypical subject for the period. The significance of the woman's rounded silhouette, which was reduced along the back by Vermeer during the painting process, has prompted much debate since the late 19th century. Although the content of the correspondence is a mystery, the woman's bent head and parted lips impart a sense of suspense. This is Vermeer's most refined and enigmatic treatment of the popular theme of letter reading. In keeping with the delicate atmosphere of the interior, he softened the topography represented on the large map of Holland and West Friesland to muted blue, taupe and ocher tonalities that suggest her complex internal state. In a masterful demonstration of Vermeer's command (and manipulation) of optical effects, the chairs and map rail casts bluish shadows on the wall, but not the woman herself. It glints off the large brass nails decorating the Spanish chairs, which have lions head finials, as well as the small tacks along the edge of the seat. Soft morning light highlights her forehead and glances across the delicate fabric of the jacket, but leaves the bow around a side curl of her hair and the back of her form in deep shadow. The woman is comfortably dressed in a blue padded bed jacket ( beddejak), decorated with yellow bows on the front and sleeve, and a long heavy skirt. On the table, a second page of the missive partially covers a string of large pearls on a blue ribbon, perhaps just removed from the open jewelry box nearby. Standing motionless at a table before an unseen window, a young woman intently reads the crisp page of a letter-possibly a precious message from a lover. The composition is so meticulously ordered, that every element contributes to the reflective mood of the female subject at its center. Apart from my art, I work as a psychotherapist in private practice.Vermeer's quiet scene is at once familiar and enigmatic. I am attached to a gallery where my works have been displayed for four years. I get inspiration from travels, clouds, art exhibitions, people and history. Artistic inspiration: I have always been fascinated by Frida Kahlo, the COBRA artists Jorgen Nash and Asger Jorn, and Lis Zwick. I work with oil/acrylic on canvas, collages, installations, newspapers, magazines, fabric, cans, cellophane, tusch and recycled material. The motives emerge, when the colours are painted, stroked, sprayed or stained on the canvas, as I listen to music. I rarely have an idea when I start painting. My art is expressive and experimental, and I like colours.The motives pop up through the inspiration I get from the great diversities of life, which I have to transform into various expressions. Since my childhood I have felt it natural to express myself artistically through writing, dance, cabaret, body and painting. I have been politically active without being a member of a political party, fought for women’s rights and worked for a better environment. I have tried to pass these values on to my own 3 kids. My father was a great example to me in my life. I inherited some very essential values from my parents: respect for others irrespective of their situation, brotherhood – we are nothing alone but only through the interaction with others,humor, laughter, literature, music, philosophical and political discussions and last but not least hard work. Fredericia is surrounded by ramparts and has a fantastic nature including wooded countryside and waters. I grew up in Fredericia – a town that dates back to about 1650. I was born in Aarhus - Denmark’s second largest town.
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