Passing through The Hague and having an hour to kill, I just wanted to see Vermeers Girl with a Pearl Earring and his View of Delft and stumbled upon the great master’s three earliest works: The Procuress from Dresden, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary from Edinburgh and Diana and her Nymphs from the collection of the Mauritshuis itself.
Greek mythology, the Bible and daily life in a Dutch brothel, somewhat astonished to find themselves in one room!
The young painter shows the scene from Luke (10, 38-42.): Jesus is received by a certain Martha who has a sister, Mary. “But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Young Vermeer paints Martha offering a bread: His own Body. The bread is at the centre of the scene. Jesus looks at Martha but points out his hand to Mary: to choose is lose. Contemplation defeats action. Unum necessarium, one thing is needful.
The brothel scene is an echo of a small painting by Frans van Mieris the Old (1635-1681) in the same Mauritshuis (and in fact in the adjacent room): lots of sensuality, the face of desire and the promise of lust. But never forget that women always triumph when it comes to paid love.
Subscribe