Officer and Laughing Girl

Johannes Vermeer1657–1660
Officer and Laughing Girl by Johannes Vermeer. Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

About this painting

A red-jacketed officer in a wide-brimmed hat sits with his back to the viewer opposite a smiling young woman bathed in window light. A map of Holland and West Friesland hangs on the wall behind them. The dramatic scale contrast between the figures has long been cited as evidence of Vermeer's use of a camera obscura.
Date
1657–1660
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
50.5 × 46 cm

Current location

The Frick Collection, New York, United States