The harlequin's carnival

The window

The structure of the window in Vermeer's Astronomer mirrors that of The Geographer, featuring a decorative stem with color, absent in the latter.

Vermeer might have included it purely for aesthetic reasons or due to its potential symbolic significance, either for himself or the potential commissioner of the paintings.

The astronomer's room receives significantly less light compared to the geographer's due to the closed second casement of the window, situated between the open casement and the furniture behind it.

Consequently, the incoming light becomes focused on the contemplative scholar and the celestial globe, creating an aura of mystery in harmony with the study of the cosmos.

Hans Slager, a Dutch archivist, has noted that, so far, the eight windows in Vermeer's work that feature the sa