The Glass of Wine Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)

Description of the painting "Glass of Wine" by Jan Vermeer

Vermeer’s work "Glass of Wine" was painted in 1660 and is currently in the Berlin Picture Gallery in Germany.

The artist depicts two acting male and female characters. The girl has emptied a vessel of wine, and the man next to her sets his sights on getting her drunk on alcohol.

The roles to be played by the artist’s characters do not appear in any way. Perhaps it is a depiction of some intimate moment in the relationship of young people, a kind of manifestation of signs of attention.

The canvas contains a variety of symbols, unnoticeable to the observer at a glance. For example, the musical instrument lying on the chair - the lyre, the window stained-glass windows - they serve as a kind of sobriety, which makes the atmosphere more tense. The landscape on the wall, executed in dark colors, speaks of the mystery of the meeting of the girl and the young man. And the drink - wine is also used by the artist not by accident. The faces of the characters suggest that they are having a lively conversation, discussing something specific.

The atmosphere in the room is quite cozy, in some places even elegant, but the author depicts a minimum number of furniture and household items. Vermeer carefully prescribes every detail of the interior, emphasizing the perspective with the presence of tiles and window frames. The room, though containing a minimum of items, does not look empty. The outfits of the woman and man are elegant; the artist dresses his characters tastefully, emphasizing the idleness of the evening.

Jan Vermeer very skillfully conveyed the mystery of the date of two people, marked a clear image of intimacy, and in addition, managed to show the difficult situation in the relationship between the people depicted. The assumption here is that the author wanted to capture an event from his personal life on canvas.