The Art of Painting
Johannes Vermeer (c. 1666–1668)
Johannes Vermeer’s The Art of Painting is a self-aware allegory that equates <strong>painting with history and fame</strong>. Framed by a parted <strong>tapestry</strong> like a stage curtain, an artist in historical dress paints the muse <strong>Clio</strong>, while a vast <strong>map of the Seventeen Provinces</strong> and a <strong>double‑headed eagle</strong> chandelier fold national memory into the studio scene <sup>[1]</sup><sup>[3]</sup>.
