Camera Obscura

The camera obscura is the wooden box that Vermeer uses to "see more of what there is" when he paints. It is a wooden box with a smaller wooden box attached to one side. The large box top is flipped open to reveal a small mirror underneath. In the smaller box is a lens through which the scene is filtered, flipped, and projected onto the small mirror. When Griet first sees the camera obscura, she believes it is the work of the devil.

Delft

Delft is the city in the Netherlands where the story is set. The township where Griet lives is packed with narrow rows of houses, built from brick, along the many canals.

New Church

The New Church is the church where Griet was baptized as an infant. It is a tall, narrow tower that reminds Griet of a birdcage. This is the church...