Goals for this assignment:
>Close analysis of a single work of art
>Examination of the work’s function within its cultural context
In the 17th Century the art-owning class had enough wealth to spend on luxuries like oil paintings. In this unit you have seen some depictions of poverty and labor. Of what use to the 1% are images of the poor?
Analyze the painting “A Maid Asleep” (ca. 1656-57) by dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. Analyze it in terms of iconography and formal elements like color and composition. Refer back to the [PDF on Iconography and Style] for clarity on the different categories of data you want to support your general ideas. Since our studies of the 17th Century take us into different types of societies (monarchies, oligarchies, and a republic) careful consideration of its cultural context is important. What purpose was served by this work of art?
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