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Suzanne
Rating:
Review
As surely as the painter Vermeer himself, Chevalier paints a sumptuously detailed portrait of Delft life in 17th century Holland, complete with canals, the plague, the famous blue and white Delft tiles, and the austere, no-nonsense Protestant lifestyle. This book is about the setting as much as anything else. The fictional character of 16 year-old Griet is introduced to tell the story when her father’s accident compels her to go to work as a maid for Vermeer’s Catholic family. She is hired to clean his studio without disturbing anything, but after Vermeer senses her eye for light and color he trains her in mixing paints as well. This favoritism causes problems for Griet, since no one else in the household – the other maid, his children, even his wife - is allowed into his private world of painting. Much jealousy arises and petty backstabbing ensues, but Griet is fascinated by the process of painting and “seeing things differently”. A powerful underlying energy develops between her and Vermeer as the compelling story unfolds. One of the most striking things in the book, to me, was how strongly Griet felt that keeping her hair covered was essential to her virtue – almost like in the Muslim culture today.
Best Line:
“My hair was long and could not be tamed. When it was uncovered it seemed to belong to another Griet – a Griet who would stand alone in an alley with a man, who was not so calm and quiet and clean.”
Kim
Rating:
Review
Set in 1660s Holland, the main character is Griet, a 16-year-old maid for the painter Johannes Vermeer and his family. Griet goes to work for Vermeer when her father is suddenly unable to work. Her interactions with Vermeer’s children, most notably Cornelia, are fabulous, and her way of dealing with Vermeer’s mother-in-law, Maria Thins and another maid, Tanneke are cleaver and intuitive. When Vermeer decides he wants to paint her, things change within the household, and for Griet. This novel actually inspired me to buy a book on Vermeer’s paintings, and I’m usually not all that interested in art. I enjoyed this book, and it seems to be a popular one, since most people I try to recommend it to have already read it.
Best Line:
“I could hear rich carpets in their voices, books and pearls and fur.”
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