The Girl with the Red Hat by Johannes Vermeer

The Girl with the Red Hat - Johannes Vermeer - Hand Painted Oil Painting

Product Overview

From the first sketch to the final varnish, The Girl with the Red Hat is made by hand. Based on Johannes Vermeer's original. This classical oil painting wall decor is crafted on artist-grade canvas for anyone who wants fine art oil painting with the character of an original.

Composition & Subject

25.2 x 20 inches is IN STOCK NOW, it costs only $135.95, please contact us for it

c. 1665-1667
Oil on panel
National Gallery of Art - Washington, United States.

Mark Harden:

"Coming upon this painting in the exhibition, the viewer is confronted with an abrupt change from the other works. "The Girl with the Red Hat" is small even by Vermeer's standards; it is his only known work that was executed on wood panel; and most importantly, its immediacy and intimacy contrast sharply with the meditative mood of the other paintings.

"Despite its modest dimensions, a strong visual impact results from the large scale of the girl. Brought close to the picture plane, she communicates directly with the viewer. Her direct gaze and slightly parted lips impart a sense of spontaneity and anticipation. Vermeer relies heavily on color to establish the mood of the work. The red of the hat and the blue of the robe contrast strongly with the muted background. The bright red of the hat advances, heightening the immediacy of the girl's glance, while the blue of the robe recedes, balancing the composition. Vermeer retained warmth in the robe by painting the blue over a reddish-brown ground. The materials - the red hat, robe and chair finials - are animated by highlights of reflected light. Subtle highlights on the girl's eye and mouth animate her expression. Finally, the intense white of the girl's cravat, painted as a thick impasto with parts later chipped off, cradles her face, focusing attention on her expression.

"The small size of this work allowed Vermeer to use painstaking detail in its execution. A precise depiction of texture and light is achieved through the duplication of thin glazes over painted ground. To represent the hat, Vermeer firs painted an opaque layer of deep orange red. He then added semi-transparent strokes of light red and orange to render the feathers. The robe highlights allow the underlying blue to show through. With this glaze technique, the underlying layer is used to help model the forms of the composition.

"Most scholars agree that Vermeer utilized a camera obscura in the composition and execution of "The Girl with a Red Hat". It is possible that he chose a wood panel support to replicate the gloss of a camera obscura image, which was normally projected onto glass. In particular, the diffused specular highlights of the lion head chair finial resemble the unfocused effect of an image seen in a camera obscura. Vermeer expert Arthur Wheelock points out, however, that Vermeer did not simply paint on top of an image projected by a camera obscura. While camera obscura effects were emulated in portions of the painting, in other places, the expected effects are not seen.

"Compositional adjustments also contradict the literal reproduction of a camera obscura image. For instance, the left chair finial is larger and angled to the right. If the chair top is extended to the left, it ends up misaligned with the finial. Vermeer adjusted the lines of the chairback to stress the foreground plane of the composition while at the same time, allowing space for the girl's arm to rest."

Collectors often choose this fine art image when searching for fine art oil painting that feels substantial rather than decorative or disposable.

100% Hand Painted on Canvas

Trained artists work in stages — underpainting, mid-tones, highlights, and detail — using traditional oils on canvas. Because nothing is printed, every hand painted oil painting has its own subtle texture and depth.

Specifications & What You Receive

• Genuine hand painted oil painting on premium artist canvas; no printing or digital imaging is used.
• Comes with a 2-inch unpainted margin on every side, ready for stretcher bars or a frame.
• Direct-from-studio worldwide delivery with no third-party resellers.
• Quick turnaround — most in-stock fine art paintings ship in 3–10 working days.
• Available canvas sizes for this hand painted oil painting: 20 X 24 in, 24 X 36 in, 30 X 40 in, 36 X 48 in, 48 X 72 in.
• Custom sizes available: order this painting in your preferred dimensions.
• Flexible shipping through DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS and partner networks.
• Free professional stretching on wooden stretcher bars — contact us for framing options.
• You will receive a photo of your completed painting by email for sign-off prior to shipping.

Where to Hang It

For gallery wall art that does not feel generic, a painted fine art canvas is hard to beat. It is a popular fine art oil painting pick for new homeowners and a durable alternative to seasonal poster art.

Ordering & Peace of Mind

In short: The Girl with the Red Hat - Johannes Vermeer - Hand Painted Oil Painting combines a classical composition, a 100% hand painted oil painting process, and the flexibility of made-to-order canvas sizes — a dependable choice for fine art oil painting and gallery wall art.