still silence

Jan Vermeer — The Little Street

Jan Vermeer was a master of still silence. This is a view of Delft, possibly the view from his studio, over the Voldersgracht  to the Guild of Saint Luke, of which he was a member. You can see everything there is to see, with gorgeous natural colours and exquisitely painted details. Except you can’t see into the houses, nor what the maid is doing, or what the children are playing at, or what the woman is making, not even her face. Nothing important, nothing that gives interior meaning, just the exterior appearance.

So what is he saying? The lack of interior meaning is complete. This must be deliberate. He’s saying you shouldn’t look for meaning in the way things look, don’t even think you could find it.