• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.12-19
• /
• 2009

The characteristics of light in the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn, Johaness Vermeer and Edward Hopper are very different. While Rembrandt and Vermeer lived in the 17th century, Hopper lived in the 20th century. Although this time gap, comparative study on their light-space relationship is important because there are spatial similarities as well as light differences. Most three painters' works depict interior spaces with one person inside. The interior space is filled with different light and shadow. In the Rembrandt's paintings, only part of the figure is lit in the ambiguous darkness. In the Vermeer's paintings, the soft indirect light is filled in the domestic space and the boundary between the figure and space is blurred. In the Hopper's paintings, the direct sunlight invades the interior and the figure confronts with strong daylight. These light differences were caused by the artists' intentions as well as the environmental situations. 4 case paintings of each artist were analyzed by phenomenological aspects and computerized light brightness test. Scale models were built to re-construct the three different light characteristics. The model experimentation will have potential to develop 2 dimensional art analysis into 3 dimensional space design by means of light. However it was very difficult to construct the three lights, the experimentation shows they have unique characteristics that can be applied to spatial design studies.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.22-29
• /
• 2008

Johannes Vermeer is one of the masters in the 17th century Dutch Genre Painting. Genre Painting represented the mundane everyday life and humble domestic spaces of the time. It was so unique in the history of western art. Most common subjects of the medieval art had been myths, historical heroes, and the christianity up to that time. However, Dutch Genre Painting that was originated from the 16th century Flandre art has fundamentally changed perception of art. Genre Painting was related to the prosperous development of civil society and early capitalism in the Netherlands of the time. In the paintings of Vermeer, there are unique spatial characteristics. This study aims to 'spatially' analyze the representation of everyday space perceived by the painter himself. Three analytical elements were chosen: light, space, and geometry. These elements have crucial roles to construct a space together within which Vermeer tried to express his discoveries as well as perception of the world. Four paintings were selected to be further analyzed in detail: $\ulcorner$A Maid Asleep$\lrcorner$ (1656-57), $\ulcorner$The Little Street$\lrcorner$ (1658-60), $\ulcorner$The Music Lesson$\lrcorner$ (1662-1665), and $\ulcorner$Young Woman with a Water Pitcher$\lrcorner$ (1662). It has been found that there are distinct spatial aspects in his paintings: Structure of Frontal Layers, Diffusion of Light, and Subtle Geometrical Tension. It is hoped that this sort of interdisciplinary research could enrich the related studies in the field of architecture & interior design, and could help to rediscover the everyday world that we live in here and now.

• Journal of Fashion Business
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.22-39
• /
• 2013

This thesis aims to investigate the characteristics of the civil costume in Netherlands women and the way how the civil culture was reflected on these by analyzing the women's costume depicted in the works of the Johannes Vermeer regarded as the representative painter of Netherlands in 17th century. The method of study was to select 24 pieces of Vermeer's works among the 30 pieces, and were analyzed in detail. These were approved to be common civil costumes by researching the works of other painters in that era on the other hand. The result shows that the civil costume of Netherlands women from 1653 until 1675 was in the simple form of two pieces dress, and minimal decorations with simple hair style and headdress would take the constitution of the frugality, chastity and practicality as the mainstream, along with using the red, yellow and blue as the primary three colors on to the costumes. These characteristics might be ascribed to the Netherlands civil culture influenced by the Calvinism that emphasized the frugality and chastity, denouncing the luxury with supporting the religion and morality. This trend was also noted in the men's costume, giving evidence of the intimate relationship between the costume, religion and civil culture. This thesis might be a help to elucidate the relationship between the costume and cultural society, and be a affordable tools to study the contemporary costume.