Woman Holding a Balance
The artist
Johannes Vermeer, a Dutch master famous for peaceful indoor scenes bathed in soft light.
What you see
A calm woman stands at a table holding an empty balance scale, waiting for it to settle perfectly still.
The story
Painted around 1664, it is a quiet picture about being fair and thoughtful, and about weighing choices in life.
The style
Vermeer balanced the whole picture too, with light glowing from the left and everything arranged in gentle harmony.
Look closer
On the wall behind her is a large painting of a final judgment, adding a thoughtful idea of weighing what is right.
Where to see it
You can see it at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., one of only a few Vermeers in the United States.
Fun fact
If you look closely, the scale is actually empty, showing she is weighing ideas rather than gold or pearls.