I've just been watching a documentary about Vermeer's painting. I spent about three months painting a copy (an exercise in learning how to shove paint around) and I found the programme very interesting.
Any ABers like the work (the original; not mine)?
Indeed. There doesn't seem to be any real philosophy or meaning behind the painting as with other paintings (such as The Bar at the Folies-Bergère). I think she was a model who just used Vermeer's dressing up box. She's rather enigmatic in a similar way to La Gioconda.