when the wife said the painting was 'OBSCENE'
is it just cause I am looking at the picture with a 21st century mind?
shareA poster named Hesper79 explained the wife's "Obscene" remark, I thought, very well in another thread.
"When Vermeer's jealous daughter spills the beans to her mother about the fact that Griet has been posing wearing her earrings, and Vermeer's wife confronts Vermeer demanding to see the painting, some may find her reaction to the portrait to be a bit on the extreme side, but you have to see it from her perspective. Griet had already proven to be not only an artistic muse of the highest order, but a kindred spirit to Vermeer, with a natural understanding of his work which his wife simply couldn't share. The one area in which Catherine still felt secure in her relationship with her husband was in his sexual attraction to her, and her confidence that Griet's religious beliefs would prevent her from indulging in any kind of immoral behavior.
And yet now, in the portrait of her rival, she sees evidence of the same change that had earlier captured her mother's attention. Griet's expression and demeanor are no longer those of a virgin, and Catherine now believes that the love and desire that are reflected in the portrait of Griet's face had been directed towards her husband during all the long months when she had secretly posed for him. Catherine understandably draws the conclusion that her husband has been unfaithful to her, and it is this aspect of the painting which she cannot help but see as "obscene". Unable to bear the humiliation of being fully replaced in her husband's affections by an illiterate servant, Catherine orders Griet out of the house."
Great Post. Perhaps there are aspects of the Artist/Muse relationship of the Renaissance which were "obscene" by the stardards of the day. The Patronage system could also be a corruptive institution as well, as is shown clearly in the film.
share[deleted]
That's correct, Vermeer's wife never experienced the intimacy that her husband had with Griet, his muse. That's why his wife was a tortured soul. The film is great examination of the Patronage system, and how it effected peoples lives.
shareI think that's excellent analysis. I sometimes think about the "Obscene" remark, and what it meant. Its clearly a loaded statement that can be interpreted on different levels. One of the interpretations I came up which sort of touches on your last sentence. The idea of an illterate servant from the lower classes wearing precious jewelery belonging to the upper class elite is obscene in its own right in the mind of Vermeer's wife. Its also congruent with the ethos of the day.
Also, the mention of a notice of change in Griet, raises an important question. Was Griet's loss of virginity (as it effected change in her demeanor) a result on the Artist/Muse "consumation", or her physical loss of virginity with the young butcher?