日英バイリンガル通信 No. 39 Hiroshi Matsuoka 松 岡 博THE GIRL WITH THE WINEGLASS
Last September I went to Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum to see the Vermeer exhibition. He is said to be a master of depicting light, because he uses light so effectively to illuminate objects that they appear to be real. His skill is well demonstrated in Young Woman with a Water Jug and Milkmaid.
I say Vermeer is a master of depicting human psychology, too. He captures the most crucial moment of emotions and paint it. The Love letter depicts the mistress’s misgivings because her maid seems to have read the letter; Mistress and Maid illustrates the mistress’s feelings about the letter the maid is about to give her; and Woman writing a Letter, with her Maid also shows the mistress’s sweet enthusiasm in writing a letter, and the maid’s concern about it.
Among such psychological paintings, The Girl with the Wineglass is the most astonishing. Look at the girl’s eyes and curly smile. Look at the man’s eyes and posture. He is politely suggesting to her that she should drink the wine, while she is wondering whether she should or not.
The most shocking part of the picture is that she is asking you, the viewer, “What shall I do with the wine? Jekyll says, ‘The man is seducing you. Don’t drink it,’ but Hyde says, ‘Drink it and enjoy seduction.’ Should I drink it?”
What an embarrassing girl! What an embarrassing picture!
lovely girl 可愛い娘
until you raised ワイングラスを
the glass 持つまでは
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