A Young Woman standing at a Virginal
- Artist: Johannes Vermeer
- Date: about 1670-2
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
A Young Woman standing at a Virginal, painted in the style of Johannes Vermeer. This beautiful painting is suffused with light that streams through the window, capturing the young woman in a moment of expectation and uncertainty. Perhaps she's waiting for someone to join her while she plays this expensive instrument, an amuselar, which would have doubled its cost with the luxurious landscape painted on the lid.
The large painting of Cupid behind her seems to be a signal that this scene is not just about music making, but about romance. The empty chair in front of her may indicate that she's waiting for someone else. This ambiguity is typical of Vermeer's style, where he invites us to question the virtue or diligence of the women depicted.
The woman herself is dressed in fine silks and a pearl-studded necklace, indicating her high social status. She's situated in a prosperous Dutch home, with pictures on the wall and Delft tiles on the floor. The Cupid painting, by the way, is in the style of Cesar van Everdingen.
There's been much speculation about this painting and another one by Vermeer, A Young Woman Seated at a Virginal, being made as a pair. They share similarities but also contrasts that may represent different approaches to love – fidelity or mercenary relationships.
See it in person
A Young Woman standing at a Virginal hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
