In the context of this artwork, explore the Yellow jacket and satin dress of the Visual analysis.
The morning jacket portrayed in this painting resembles five separate Vermeer paintings, three of which are A Lady Writing a Letter, Mistress and Maid, and Woman with a Pearl Necklace. In each painting, the jacket depicts different types of folds, distribution of spots, and fur trim. The thin patches of gray and yellow lead-tin paint categorize the abstract pattern that establishes the folds in the jackets fabric and fur trim. Vermeer's devotion to painting light and shade can be acknowledged through the inclusion of dark brown shadows painted on the young musicians right arm and shoulder. From a distance these small patches seem blended, but they are actually laying side-by-side. Historians conclude that the fur on Vermeer's morning jacket was not made from ermine, but either cat, squirrel, or mouse. The fur was then decorated with faux spots. The jacket in The Guitar Player is one of the few surviving examples of 17th century overcoats.
The depiction of a satin dress implies a life of luxury. The young girl's gown is presumably starched satin. For the dress to appear heavy and shimmery, the material was stiffened with starch and then ironed. The act of painting fine materials such as satin, took time and talent. To realistically represent luxurious materials, the artist had to be able to depict small details in the folds and patterns of the dress. To complete such a task, the artist often set up a life-sized wooden manikin dressed in the garments.
cat squirrel Woman with a Pearl Necklace A Lady Writing a Letter ermine Mistress and Maid Guitar Pearl faux mouse satin