Vermeer: Painter of Locals
约翰尼斯·维米尔(Johannes Vermeer)(1632–1675)，荷兰黄金时代的画家，与伦勃朗一同被称为荷兰黄金时代最伟大的画家。
Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675), a painter of the Dutch Golden Age, and Rembrandt is known as the greatest painter of the Dutch Golden Age.
维米尔的作品主题大多取材于生活，他用色明亮大胆、构图简单且严谨，描绘的画面往往温馨、宁静。但这位优秀的画家43岁时便凄惨离世，画作无人问津，留下了妻子和11个孩子。用其妻子的话说，维米尔是由于“庞大家庭的重负，没有谋生手段，使他陷入萎靡和沮丧，进而谵妄，好端端的人一、两天内就突然病死”。但在两个世纪后，他的作品重新被人发现，画作温馨且逼真，以至于有评论家认为“这不是艺术”。
The theme of Vermeer’s works is mostly based on life. His bright and bold colors, rigorous and straightforward composition, and the pictures he depicts are often warm and quiet. However, the outstanding painter died miserably at the age of 43, leaving no one interested in his paintings, leaving his wife and 11 children. In the words of his wife, Vermeer was “due to the burden of a large family and no means of earning a living, causing him to fall into depression and depression, and then delirium, and a good person suddenly died of illness within a day or two.” But two centuries later, his work was rediscovered. The paintings were so warm and realistic that some critics thought that “this is not art.”
维米尔生前留下的资料较少，以至于对于他本人或者他的作品，后人所知的都不多。这幅画作在1994年得到修复，学者们认为这属于17世纪荷兰所流行的头像画（Tronie），画家捕捉到了女孩回眸时的瞬间。画中少女衣服线条柔软，光线的明暗对比在珍珠耳环上巧妙展现，少女侧身回首、欲言又止，目光深情而强烈，很多人认为唯有《蒙娜丽莎》的微笑可与之媲美。
Vermeer left so few materials before his death that he didn’t know much about himself or his works. This painting was restored in 1994. Scholars believe that this is a popular avatar (Tronie) in the Netherlands in the 17th century. The artist captured the moment when the girl looked back. In the painting, the girl’s clothes are soft, and the contrast between light and dark is displayed on the pearl earrings. The girl looks back sideways, she says, and her eyes are affectionate and robust. Many people think that only the smile of “Mona Lisa” can be comparable.
这是维米尔留下的另外一副优秀民俗作品。画中的女仆头戴亚麻帽子，身着蓝色围裙，袖子卷起露出了粗壮的小臂，她正在小心翼翼地将牛奶从罐中倒入锅中。桌上放置着多种面包，她的脚旁是一个暖炉。从这幅画作中能看出维米尔用色明亮，画面布局简单的特点。女仆的身份成谜，也为这幅作品增加了神秘感。
This is another excellent folk work left by Vermeer. The maid in the picture is wearing a linen hat and a blue apron. Her sleeves are rolled up to reveal a thick arm. She is carefully pouring milk from the jug into the pot. A variety of bread was placed on the table, and there was a stove next to her feet. From this painting, Vermeer has bright colors and a simple layout. The maid’s identity becomes a mystery, which also adds a sense of mystery to this work.
