The Little Street

The Little Street (circa 1657) is one of the lesser known works of the Dutch painter Jan Vermeer. Since he was not a prolific artist (or at least never got to be, for he died relatively young), the public mostly comes to associate with the Girl with the Pearl Earring (1665) or the Milkmaid (1660).

As with Vermeer's other works, the Little Street depicts a genre scene of a Delft town. However, unlike others that tell of the domestic sphere, this is one of the few that shows the urban landscape that teases the blurry yet intimate boundary between the public and the private. While the viewer is, at first, presented with the sheer architectural magnitude of a house's facade, s/he gets to sneak a glimpse into the delicate smaller world, thanks to the human presence.

The painting exudes such quiet poetry where the meticulously detailed urban fabric is punctuated with the stillness of human activity. This reminds me of the gently opened mouth of the Girl with the Pearl Earring who stands against an otherwise muted background. Or the flowing milk in the Milkmaid. This is how Vermeer captures a moment.

The final intriguing touch to it is the point of view. The painting exhibits a mix of the public and private life, a mild hint of voyeurism, and the contemporary urbane activity of 'people watching.' Are we looking from the same point as Vermeer? Are we invited into his world?

The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum's collections in Amsterdam.