Woman Holding a Balance - Vermeer

A soft light, coming through a window and its orange-yellow curtain, illuminates the scene. Although the woman is psychologically distant from us, her graceful figure and serene face suggest an inner peace that we often feel at unexpected and fleeting moments in our lives.

The woman holding the scales is an allegorical scene that encourages us to lead our lives with temperance and moderation. The painting within the painting offers an important clue in that Christ's final judgment is echoed in the actions of the woman herself. In front of her are earthly treasures; behind her is a symbol of the eternal consequences of her actions here on earth. As she waits for the scales to balance, she recognizes the importance of judgment by weighing her own actions in anticipation of the life to come.