Woman Holding a Balance

Vermeer built this quiet scene with extraordinary care. The vanishing point of the perspective sits almost exactly at the woman's little finger, which holds the scales, so the whole room converges on that gesture. The light is painted in tiny points and soft glows, on the pearls, on the frame of the picture, on the edge of the box. Look at the balance itself, two almost invisible threads and two dots of light for the pans. The colours are limited to blue, ochre, white and grey, which makes the small touches of gold on the table sing. Many viewers see the woman as pregnant, though the full jacket of the period may simply create that impression.

The painting has been read in several ways: as a warning against vanity, as an image of moderation and self-knowledge, or as a devotional meditation on the soul weighed at the end of time. It passed through Dutch and French collections and belonged to the Widener family of Philadelphia, who gave it to the National Gallery in 1942. It is one of only about thirty-five surviving paintings by Vermeer. One memorable detail: the mirror on the wall opposite the woman is angled so that it reflects nothing you can see, keeping her thoughts entirely her own.

Did You Know? The vanishing point of the perspective lines falls on the woman's fingertip where she holds the scales.