After Vermeer's "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary", c.1655

Painted using old master classical painting methods, I narrowed this subject and painted just "Mary" from Vermeer's 1655 painting. I was so taken not only by the mastery of Vermeer but by the sweet devotion he gives in Mary's attention to Christ from the biblical story of Martha, the consummate servant and Mary, the devotee hanging on every word. This style of painting, with it's thin glazes and weeks of drying time between layers, allows the artist to contemplate the meaning within the subject over a long period which translates to a definate emotion with the choice of brushstroke and pallette. Glorious! I learned so much from this study.