Woman Holding a Balance
Johannes Vermeer1662–1665

About this painting
A woman in a blue jacket pauses near a table scattered with pearls and gold coins, holding an empty balance scale in her right hand. Light enters from a window to the left, illuminating her face in profile. Behind her hangs a Last Judgement painting, linking the earthly act of weighing to divine judgement. The work is widely read as an allegory of temperance and spiritual reflection.
- Date
- 1662–1665
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 42.5 × 38 cm
Motifs
Current location
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., United States