In Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, Johannes Vermeer depicts an intimate 17th century moment that perfectly captures Dutch culture.

Young Woman with a Water Pitcher is a Vermeer painting through and through. It features all of the artist’s famous themes and ideas. Vermeer was all about portraying domestic life in private, often with women that he knew used as his models. The woman in this painting is said to be either his wife or his daughter. He also loved conveying light and shadow in his work as you can see in the contrasts of illumination on the shoulders of the woman in the painting. It’s a subtle difference, sure, but it’s one that a 17th century audience would’ve appreciated because it goes the extra mile in its attention to detail.

Another aspect of this painting that is a staple of Vermeer’s work, is the depiction of the woman simply living life in a comfortable manner. Vermeer often painted women doing everyday things like reading, playing an instrument, writing, or in this instance, about to clean a dirty window pane. And they are always inside. Always. There’s something to say about the comfortability and safety of the indoors, but I think what Vermeer was really trying to convey is the tranquility that the indoors can provide you. The world is a scary and dangerous place. Any number of things can threaten your life, but in the confines of your own home, all of that is seemingly put on pause until you have to leave and go back out there.

I think tranquility is the central theme of this painting, or at the very least, a synonym to tranquility. On top of the universal notion that the indoors provide us with a personal intimacy and escape from the brash nature of the world, there are many other things within this painting that convey that peace in a more personal manner for Vermeer and his Dutch culture.

The map above the woman’s head is a map of the Netherlands. It was a common part of any Dutch household at the time and isn’t unlike us having a map of our country, or a flag. It’s a sense of pride and a constant reminder of who we are and where we come from. Including this in the painting did the same thing for the Dutch. As Vermeer often painted what was in his own studio, it’s likely something that he had in real life as well.

One of the biggest details in this painting that really hammers home the idea of being comfortable in one’s own home, is the way the woman is dressed. She wears a headdress known as a “hoofdoek” which works to keep your head warm, as well as protect your hair and keep it from getting too unruly.

In an effort to make what Vermeer was trying to do even clearer, let’s give this painting a 21st Century American spin. Picture a young woman in her 20s in a tight and slightly cluttered room. There are shoes in the corner on the floor, and a laptop and rustled papers on a bed to the right. She wears an oversized t-shirt from a Travis Scott concert and her hair is wrapped in a sleeping cap to keep it from getting tangled. On the wall behind her is a banner for the Golden State Warriors and a poster for her favorite Star Wars movie. And instead of holding a pitcher of water, she grasps a Starbucks frappuccino as she looks out the window, mentally preparing herself for the mid-term she’s about to take.

This is what Vermeer is portraying: The moment of peace that we all feel when we’re in the comforts of our own home, surrounded by the things that make us who we are. These things give us the strength to leave the house and face the world, and they recharge us when we come home after a long day.