Comparing Vermeer’s painting techniques in Woman Holding a Balance and A Lady Writing using chemical imaging spectroscopy

Abstract Chemical imaging of Johannes Vermeer’s Woman Holding a Balance and A Lady Writing has augmented understanding of Vermeer’s painting process. When combined with previous magnified examination of the paint surface and limited sample analysis, reflectance and X-ray fluorescence imaging spectroscopies allowed for visualizing the texture of Vermeer’s underpaint, an early stage that approximated the colors of the final image. The presence of brushmarked underpaint suggests Vermeer worked quickly during this initial painting stage—a shift from previous scholarly understanding, based on surface appearance, that Vermeer worked slowly and smoothly throughout his painting process. This paper also presents pigment maps for surface paint and underpaint in the flesh tones of the women’s faces, their jackets, and the tablecloths. The results address how Vermeer achieved subtle color effects by adding or layering specific pigments. Finally, this paper further characterizes the painted sketch and discusses the challenges in imaging this sub-surface design layer.