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Frans
Camera Obscura
The camera obscura, owned by van Leeuwenhoek and frequently borrowed by Vermeer, represents scientific advancement and the changes of an increasingly sophisticated society. Although the technology it uses is ancient, potentially dating back further…
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Knives
Knives symbolize control and danger in Girl with a Pearl Earring. Griet handles her kitchen knife with precision at the beginning of the book, just as Vermeer uses his palette knife to expertly mix…
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Light
An important feature of Vermeer’s paintings and something to which Griet is quite sensitive, light represents the potential for seeing and understanding the world. Light illuminates everything, but a person’s sight can be limited…
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Meat
In the context of the grand feasts at the house in Papists’ Corner, meat represents luxury. In the context of Pieter’s courtship of Griet, though, it stands for stability. Vermeer can barely afford…
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