1668

The Art of Painting, also known as The Allegory of Painting, or Painter in his Studio, is a 17th-century oil on canvas painting by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. Owned by the Austrian Republic and is displayed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Many art historians think it is an allegory of painting, hence the alternative title. Its composition and iconography make it the most complex Vermeer work, making it his second-largest work.

This canvas depicts an artist painting a woman dressed in blue posing as a model in his studio. Standing by a window and a large map of the Low Countries hangs on the wall behind. Signed to the right of the girl “I [Oannes] Ver. Meer”, but not dated. Most experts assume he executed it sometime between 1665/1668, but some suggest he could have created it as late as 1670–1675. The painting has only two figures, the painter and his subject, a woman with downcast eyes. Thought to be a self-portrait of the artist, some have suggested the young woman could be his daughter.