Woman Holding a Balance

What you are looking at

A woman in a blue jacket trimmed with fur stands at a table with pearls and gold, holding a small balance that is empty. Behind her hangs a painting of the Last Judgment.

Why it is famous

The empty scales and the Last Judgment behind her suggest a quiet message about weighing what matters in life. Light from a high window falls across her hands and face.

How big is Woman Holding a Balance?

Woman Holding a Balance measures 39.7 × 35.5 cm (15.6 × 14.0 in), without its frame. It is smaller than the Mona Lisa: about 33% of its area.

Compare it with other paintings

Where to see it

It is at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, which is free.

Museums move and lend paintings. Check the museum's website before you travel to see one work. See all famous paintings in Washington, DC.

More by Johannes Vermeer

The MilkmaidJohannes Vermeer, c. 1660 AmsterdamView of DelftJohannes Vermeer, c. 1660 to 1661 The HagueYoung Woman with a Water PitcherJohannes Vermeer, c. 1662 New YorkGirl with a Pearl EarringJohannes Vermeer, c. 1665 The HagueGirl with the Red HatJohannes Vermeer, c. 1669 Washington, DC

All Johannes Vermeer paintings

Also at the National Gallery of Art

Ginevra de' BenciLeonardo da Vinci, c. 1474 to 1478 Washington, DCWatson and the SharkJohn Singleton Copley, 1778 Washington, DCNapoleon in His StudyJacques-Louis David, 1812 Washington, DCBreezing Up (A Fair Wind)Winslow Homer, 1873 to 1876 Washington, DCWoman with a ParasolClaude Monet, 1875 Washington, DCThe Japanese FootbridgeClaude Monet, 1899 Washington, DC

Sources: National Gallery of Art, Woman Holding a Balance (1942.9.97), open data; Wikidata Q969367; Wikipedia, "Woman Holding a Balance". Checked October 17, 2026. How we check.