By the Window

Almost every Vermeer interior is lit from a tall leaded window on the left wall, just inside or just beyond the frame. The cool daylight rakes across plaster, skin, and pewter, modelling form in soft gradations and casting the faint shadows that order each room. It is the most recognisable device in his work — from the milkmaid pouring at her window to the women who read letters, greet an officer, and tip a water pitcher beside the same panes.