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6. Smart and Artistic
Griet is smart and artistic. Even though she has no education experiences, she shows her talent especially related to art and painting. According to Harold’s
History of the Netherland and Dutch Revolt http:www.historyworld.net, there are some explanations of Dutch’s history. One of them is related to social
structure. In Netherland, one’s social status in 17
th
centuries was largely determined by income. Griet, as a maid, is considered as the lower status. It makes
her lack of education because her poor family has no money even to support the daily life. Her smartness can be seen through her actions in learning something by
herself in a short time. Through Griet’s talent in recognizing colors, we can see that she is smart
and artistic. At the beginning of the story, when Vermeer and Chatarina come to her house, Griet is chopping vegetables, and separates them into colors. She has a
short conversation with Vermeer related to colors and she can answer every question clearly. She does something that some people even do not think about it.
Griet can see art and beauty through the objects around her, even vegetables. I always laid the vegetables out in a circle, each with its own section like a
slice of pie. There were five slices: red cabbage, onions, leeks, carrots, and turnips. I had used a knife edge to shape each slice, and placed a carrot in a
disc in the centre. The man tapped his finger on the table. ‘Are they laid out in the order in which they will go into the soup?’ he suggested, studying the
circle.‘No sir.’ I hesitated. I simply set them as I felt they should be. ‘I see you have separated the whites,’ he said, indicating the turnips and onions.
‘And then the orange and the purple, they do not sit together. Why is that?’ he pick up a shred of cabbage and a piece of carrot and shook them like dice
in his hand. I looked at my mother, who nodded slighty. ‘The color will fight when they are side by side, sir.’ Chevalier 5
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45 Griet also shows her smartness through her reactions when she is asked by
Chatarina to clean the windows in the studio. She has an opinion that cleaning the window will change the lighting. If the lighting is changed, the tone and the color
of the painting will also change. She decides to ask Chatarina about this problem, but Chatarina does not understand about the lighting and art well Chevalier 43.
By helping the master in the studio, Griet’s talent becomes better. She learns that there is more than one color in one thing. Through her conversation with
Vermeer, it can be seen that she finds out there are some blue, yellow, and grey on the color of clouds. The clouds color is not only white.
‘What color are those clouds?’ ‘Why, white sir.’ He raised his eyebrows slightly. ‘Are they?’ I glanced at them. ‘And grey. Perhaps it will snow.’
‘Come Griet, you can do better than that. Think of your vegetables.’ ‘My vegetables sir?’ He moved his head slightly. I was annoying him again. My
jaw tightened. ‘Think of how you separated the whites. Your turnips and your onions-are they the same white?’ Suddenly I understood. ‘No. the
turnips has green in it, the onion yellow.’ ‘Exactly. Now, what color do you see in the clouds?’ ‘There is some blue in them.’ I said after studying them
for a few minutes. ‘And yellow as well. And there is some green’ I became so excited I actually pointed Chevalier 107-108.
Griet even makes some changes when she is cleaning her master’s studio. She thinks that moving some objects of paintings will make the painting becomes
more attractive. She often shares her ideas and opinion with Vermeer. Griet also gives suggestion to her master’s painting and how he can improve it. She explains
that the painting needs some disorder in the scene, to contrast the tranquility. It needs something to tease and to please the eye as well. Griet says that the cloth
and the arm of the painting are in the same position, and it is not balanced.
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46 Vermeer finally considers her explanation and he feels surprise that he will learn
something from a maid Chevalier 144. By seeing her master grinding and mixing colors, she can learn how to do it
fast. Vermeer only gives her suggestion if she feels difficult in doing her job in the attic. Griet tries to memorize what the steps are and practice how to make the
colors by herself. With her talent, she can help Vermeer finish his painting faster than before. His master and Maria Thins are pleased with her jobs. From Vermeer
she learns how to wash substances to get rid of the impurities and brings out the true color. She uses a series of shell as shallow bowls, rinses and rerinses colors.
Sometimes she does it thirty times, to rinse the chalk, sand or gravel. It is long and tedious work, but very satisfying to see the color grow cleaner with each wash,
closer to what it is needed Chevalier 115. In conclusion, Griet is a sort of person who is brave, hardworking, quiet,
careful, tough, smart and artistic. She is a brave person. She has courage to face every new and difficult situation throughout her life. She decides to be a maid in a
painter’s family and works for her family living. Griet is brave to face a soldier when she needs some information related to the plague and quarantine in her
hometown. Griet is a hard worker as well. She can finish her tasks as a maid in Vermeer’s house pleasantly. Griet also does her job to be Vermeer’s assistant
satisfyingly. She grinds and mixes colors well; she also does what Vermeer’s asks even to buy some coloring matters in the apothecary far from Papist’ Corner.
Although she faces many difficulties in handling her job, Griet is a tough person. She has a principle to hold on. She does not want to be underestimated by men,
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47 and Griet never gives up, even in the worst situation. When her sister dies because
of the plague, she tries to cheer up her family. Though quiet, she is also careful. Her carefulness makes her finish her tasks successfully. Her master and mistress
are so pleased with her works. Griet’s smartness and sense of art also help her achieve an excellent work. She has a curiosity to ask and to try something new in
a short time. Griet shares her opinion and ability to Vermeer in relation with his painting. Based on the analysis, it is obvious that Griet is a sort of person who
really wants to struggle for life and to change her life to be better.
B. Griet’s Struggle for a Better Life
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