art history 15th century

Woman Holding a Balance by Jan Vermeer

and Peasant Smoking at a Cottage Door by Thomas Gainsborough

Paintings are considered as artifacts of a particular culture that represent the lifestyle , principles and people of that specific era . The creativity and genius of artists are reflected on their works of art that are transformed into timeless pieces which are valued to celebrate the greatness of humanity . Artists embody the spirit of creativity . They create different styles and techniques to effectively express their ideas and emotions . Two of the most acclaimed painters throughout art

br history are Jan Vermeer and Thomas Gainsborough . Their respective works Woman Holding a Balance (see fig . 1 ) and Peasant Smoking at a Cottage Door (see fig . 2 ) showcased their talents and concepts about the society during their time

Vermeer 's painting was a representative of the Baroque style which was characterized by drama and exaggeration while Gainsborough 's art work exemplified the Rococo style which was the simplified version of Baroque . In Woman Holding a Balance ' the simple focal point of a young woman holding an empty pair of weighing scales signified a lot of symbolisms . Together with the other elements that were incorporated such as mirrors , jewels and Last Judgment painting , the Woman Holding a Balance ' suggested that viewers resist the temptation of material things and live a moderate life in to obtain salvation ( Vermeer ' 2008 . Moreover , in Peasant Smoking at a Cottage Door Gainsborough used a different domestic scene - the peasant life . A blissful scene of peasant accentuated by the sunlight carrying a jug while smoking his pipe , along with his wife and three little children ' was the theme for this painting (Glueck , 2005 , Blue Boy for a Living : Landscapes for Pleasure . The elegant representation of Gainsborough of the lives of the peasants generated several accolades that described his work as captivating and intriguing as well

In terms of the technical aspects of the painting , Vermeer 's work employed variations of soft light , dark shadings and the color harmony that contributed to the refinement of the scene : the woman 's blue jacket accentuated the materials on the table , while the color of the curtain on the left echoed the orange and yellow color on the woman 's stomach and in the vertical lines of the picture frame on the far wall . The combination of the woman 's concentrated facial feature and the strict geometrical composition created by the light entering from the window gave the painting an exquisite sophistication (Vergara , 2003 ,

. 254 Meanwhile , the illusion of movement was seen on the treatment of the trees where he used feathery strokes that made the trees look that they were swaying . In addition , the dim lighting that came from the sunset created a dramatic effect (Glueck , 2005 , Blue Boy for a Living Landscapes for Pleasure . More so , the employment of dark colors and the control of the light highlighted the peasant family despite its location of being placed at the corner of the painting and...