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Tanneke
Van Ruijven is a wealthy and important citizen of Delft who, along with his wife, patronizes Vermeer. Despite his large art collection, Griet doesn’t think that he truly understands or appreciates what makes Vermeer such a great painter. Van Ruijven is a selfish, lustful man who ruined the reputation of one of his own maids by impregnating her, and he drew attention to their affair by having Vermeer paint them together in a scene. He gropes and attempts to sexually assault Griet several times and commissions Vermeer to paint a portrait of her for him.
Van Ruijven Quotes in Girl with a Pearl Earring
The Girl with a Pearl Earring quotes below are all either spoken by Van Ruijven or refer to Van Ruijven. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2: 1665
Quotes
“Oh yes, that story went all around the Meat Hall,” he answered, chuckling. […] “It was several years ago now. It seems van Ruijven wanted one of his kitchen maids to sit for a painting with him. They dressed her in one of his wife’s gowns, a red one, and van Ruijven made sure there was wine in the painting so he could get her to drink every time they sat together. Sure enough, before the painting was finished she was carrying van Ruijven’s child.”
“What happened to her?”
Pieter shrugged, “What happens to girls like that?”
His words froze my blood. Of course I had heard such stories before, but never one so close to me. I thought about my dreams of wearing Catharina’s clothes, of van Ruijven grasping my chin in the hallway, of him saying “You should paint her” to my master.
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He listened carefully. When I finished he declared, “You see, we’re not so different, with the attentions we’ve had from those above us.”
“But I haven’t responded to van Ruijven, and have no intentions to.”
“I didn’t mean van Ruijven,” Frans said, his look suddenly sly. “No, not him. I meant your master.”
“What about my master?” I cried.
Frans smiled, “Now, Griet, don’t work yourself into a state.”
“Stop that! What are you suggesting? He has never—”
“He doesn’t have to. It’s clear from your face. You want him. You can hide it from our parents and your butcher man, but you can’t hide it from me. I know you better than that.”
He did. He did know me better.
I opened my mouth but no words came out.
Chapter 3: 1666
Quotes
“You watch out for yourself, my dear.”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“You must know that he’s painting you to satisfy van Ruijven. Van Ruijven’s interest in you has made your master protective of you.”
I nodded, secretly pleased to hear what I had suspected.
“Do not get caught in their battle. You could be hurt.”
[…] “I do not think he would ever hurt me, sir.”
“Tell me, my dear, how much do you know of men?”
[…] I did not answer.
“He is an exceptional man,” van Leeuwenhoek continued. “His eyes are worth a roomful of gold. But sometimes he sees the world only as he wants it to be, not as it is. He does not understand the consequences for others of his point of view. He thinks only of himself and his work, not of you.”
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Van Ruijven Quotes in Girl with a Pearl Earring
The Girl with a Pearl Earring quotes below are all either spoken by Van Ruijven or refer to Van Ruijven. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2: 1665
Quotes
“Oh yes, that story went all around the Meat Hall,” he answered, chuckling. […] “It was several years ago now. It seems van Ruijven wanted one of his kitchen maids to sit for a painting with him. They dressed her in one of his wife’s gowns, a red one, and van Ruijven made sure there was wine in the painting so he could get her to drink every time they sat together. Sure enough, before the painting was finished she was carrying van Ruijven’s child.”
“What happened to her?”
Pieter shrugged, “What happens to girls like that?”
His words froze my blood. Of course I had heard such stories before, but never one so close to me. I thought about my dreams of wearing Catharina’s clothes, of van Ruijven grasping my chin in the hallway, of him saying “You should paint her” to my master.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
He listened carefully. When I finished he declared, “You see, we’re not so different, with the attentions we’ve had from those above us.”
“But I haven’t responded to van Ruijven, and have no intentions to.”
“I didn’t mean van Ruijven,” Frans said, his look suddenly sly. “No, not him. I meant your master.”
“What about my master?” I cried.
Frans smiled, “Now, Griet, don’t work yourself into a state.”
“Stop that! What are you suggesting? He has never—”
“He doesn’t have to. It’s clear from your face. You want him. You can hide it from our parents and your butcher man, but you can’t hide it from me. I know you better than that.”
He did. He did know me better.
I opened my mouth but no words came out.
Chapter 3: 1666
Quotes
“You watch out for yourself, my dear.”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“You must know that he’s painting you to satisfy van Ruijven. Van Ruijven’s interest in you has made your master protective of you.”
I nodded, secretly pleased to hear what I had suspected.
“Do not get caught in their battle. You could be hurt.”
[…] “I do not think he would ever hurt me, sir.”
“Tell me, my dear, how much do you know of men?”
[…] I did not answer.
“He is an exceptional man,” van Leeuwenhoek continued. “His eyes are worth a roomful of gold. But sometimes he sees the world only as he wants it to be, not as it is. He does not understand the consequences for others of his point of view. He thinks only of himself and his work, not of you.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
