Christ in the House of Martha and Mary (Vermeer)
Christ with Mary and Martha is a painting by Jan Vermeer. The 1654/1655 resulting image is one of the first paintings by Vermeer, which is known today, and 160 centimeters high and 142 centimeters wide and the largest in the complete works of Vermeer. The design takes on a Bible citation reference and is the genre of history painting assign. Thus, it is also one of the very few religious paintings of Vermeer. Christ with Mary and Martha is part of the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Image description
The subject of the image of Christ with Mary and Martha Jan Vermeer borrowed a passage from the Gospel of Luke: Jesus is invited on a marketplace by Martha in her house where she would entertain him. While they prepared the food, Maria Jesus listens to the speeches. Martha asks him why he did not exhort to Mary to help her, and receives the answer: " Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled. But one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. " This episode was a subject often treated in the painting of the 16th century.
The composition of the picture is simple compared to later works by Vermeer. The arrangement of the figures was made after the pyramid scheme: Martha is with a bread basket in hand behind Jesus, who sits on a chair and his head is surrounded by a faint halo. In the foreground Maria sitting with head resting on a stool. This gesture of Mary to show thoughtfulness. As a sign of humility before Jesus she is not wearing shoes. The extended, pointing at her arm Jesus to mean Martha that her sister has chosen the better activity. The existing wooden walls room is kept simple. He does not provide any attributes that would distract from the actual theme.
Vermeer sat in this painting a strong color contrasts between the white of the tablecloth and the red of Mary's upper part and the blue of the robe of Jesus. In its design and the chosen subject, it shows the influence of the Utrecht Caravaggists, especially ter Brugghen and Bloemaert, the young Vermeer.
Provenance
The image of Christ with Mary and Martha is part of the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. It was her in 1927 by Thomas H. and J. A. Coats in memory of her father, William A. Coats, passed. Before 1901 in the collection of coats on Skelmorlie Castle, North Ayrshire / Scotland, came, it is about 1880 in the Abbott collection in Bristol detectable.