Pleasures of Everyday Life

Artists have a keen ability to spot overlooked elements that deserve our attention and concern. In the late 1650s, Johannes Vermeer's painting "The Milkmaid" depicted a serving woman pouring milk, a seemingly mundane scene. Despite the lack of glamour or fame associated with the subject, Vermeer found something deserving of admiration and contemplation.

He recognized the significance of the act and believed it held a deeper meaning. Although it may seem modest in worldly terms, the dedication and care displayed by the serving woman moved Vermeer. He appreciated the notion that our truest needs can often be found in simplicity, such as the satisfaction derived from bread and milk. The light filtering through the window possesses a striking beauty. A simple white wall has the potential to bring immense joy. Vermeer is elevating the status of the objects he portrays, thereby imparting them with an aura of glamour. In doing so, he seeks to evoke the same sentiments within us. The milkmaid serves as a form of propaganda or advertisement for the pleasures found in everyday life.

Let us also consider Vermeer's meticulous and commercially-driven approach to lace-making, as seen in "The Lacemaker" (1669-1671). He bestows upon this self-employed businesswoman the same level of devotion and care typically reserved for military heroes or prominent political figures.

Vermeer himself was unremarkable in many regards. Born in 1632 in the enchanting city of Delft, he grew up in a modest household where his father was both an art dealer and innkeeper. For the majority of his life, Vermeer remained in Delft, rarely venturing beyond its borders even after marrying at the age of 20. He seldom left the comforts of his pleasant home, where he and his wife, Catharina, raised eleven children. It was from the rooms on the upper floor that Vermeer predominantly carried out his paintings.

Vermeer's painting process was slow, partly due to his involvement in other family businesses such as art dealing and innkeeping. Additionally, he assumed the role of the head of the local painters' guild. However, by contemporary standards, Vermeer's career was not exceptionally successful. He did not achieve great fame or accumulate significant wealth. Instead, he exemplified the emergence of a new societal class during that time: the middle-class individual.

Holland, or the Seven Provinces, had recently become an independent state while Vermeer was still a teenager. It was the world's first "bourgeois republic," distinguishing itself from the semi-feudal aristocratic societies surrounding it. In Holland, honour and political power were granted to individuals who were not at the pinnacle of society, such as merchants, administrators, prosperous artisans, and entrepreneurs. This made Holland the first recognizably modern country in the world. During this period, a profound Christian insight, separate from its surrounding theology, gained prominence: that everyone's inner life holds significance, even if they may not outwardly appear remarkable.

Vermeer's painting, "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" (1665), reflects this perspective.

The subject of the painting is not a famous or important person, nor is she wealthy. The pearl earring, she wears, though nice, is considered a minor trinket in the eyes of the fashionable world. It is her sole valuable possession. Despite her lack of privilege, she does not require justice as she is not oppressed or mistreated. She can be best described as ordinary.

She is not at all ordinary; in fact, she is uniquely, profoundly, and mysteriously herself, just like everyone else. Vermeer's masterpiece, "The Little Street," encapsulates his philosophy and has gained worldwide recognition as one of the most famous works of art. Displayed prominently in Amsterdam's prestigious Rijksmuseum and insured for a staggering amount, this painting stands out by defying expectations. Its primary message is that the ordinary can be extraordinary. It asserts that tending to a simple yet beautiful home, maintaining a clean yard, caring for children, and mending clothes are life's true responsibilities. This artwork challenges the notion that true glamour is dependent on heroic acts or social status. It argues that fulfilling the modest expectations placed upon us is sufficient.

Although Vermeer's life was cut short, with his passing in 1675 at only forty-something, he managed to convey a crucial and remarkably sensible idea. Much of what truly matters to us does not consist of thrilling, urgent, dramatic, or extraordinary events. Instead, our lives are predominantly filled with mundane, routine, and humble tasks that, to be honest, perhaps a bit dull.

Our culture should prioritize our appreciation for the average, the ordinary, and the everyday aspects of life. Vermeer's depiction of his hometown in "View of Delft" does not showcase a special day; the sky is neither heavily overcast nor remarkably sunny. Nothing remarkable is taking place. Yet, as Vermeer has taught us to recognize, it is all incredibly special.