A veiled woman weighs pearls and gold coins in Vermeer’s Woman Holding a Balance. Behind her ... Catholic themes and symbols abound in his work. At first blush, Vermeer’s Woman with a Pearl ...

and she faces away from the symbols of prurience towards her domestic chores. 3. The weighing scales in Woman Holding a Balance (1662-64) A young woman is watching a set of weighing scales ...

“Woman Holding a Balance,” which dates from 1664, is an intimate depiction of domesticity, revealing Vermeer's masterful use of light, proportion and symbolism. It remains at the DIA through Sep ...