Woman Holding a Balance, 1665
Johannes Vermeer
Oil on canvas · 42.5 x 38 cm
A woman weighs nothing at all, pearls and a Last Judgment painting looking on.
In Vermeer's serene interior a pregnant woman weighs empty scales in soft window light, a Last Judgment hanging behind her. It is a quiet parable of balance and moderation — one of his most poised and contemplative meditations on daily life.
What you're looking at
The scales are empty. They were long assumed to hold pearls or gold — there are both on the table — but cleaning showed the pans hold nothing at all, which turns the picture from a scene of weighing into one about judgement. That is the point of the Last Judgement hanging on the wall directly behind her head. Her supposed pregnancy is probably just the cut of the jacket.
On a Frame TV
About 5:6. Matted file. This is a dark picture lit by one narrow shaft, so it wants an unlit room; on a sunlit wall the shadows collapse into a single flat black.
- 4K master file (3840px+)
- Samsung Frame TV–ready crop
- Phone wallpaper crop
- Printable art card
Public domain · one .zip, no sign-up
More like this
Other works in the collection, starting with Johannes Vermeer.
