spottedroo

Johannes Vermeer, A Maid Asleep, image from www.metmuseum.org

We went to New Jersey last weekend to celebrate Rosh Hashana with David’s parents.  We made our usual stop at my sister’s on the way down and caught the Vermeer exhibit at the Met before heading over to New Jersey.  The exhibit was in honor of Vermeer’s Milkmaid, which had come all the way from Amsterdam.  It’s gorgeous.  But it was also mobbed.  So I ended up spending more time in front of this one.  I was mesmerized by the light outside the door.  It is coming from the left, offstage, and as the warmest light in the painting, it draws your eye.  The caption says the girl is dreaming of “a recently departed lover,” but I wonder if she isn’t dreaming of the future.

Inspired by the museum visit I did some value sketches for three paintings I’ve been thinking about doing.  These are from the rainy day photos I took last spring.

We got back late on Sunday to a call from my sister.  Sam had proposed to her that afternoon.  Hip hip hooray!!!