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Above I implied that the pose might be responsible for the burn in the Vermeer and Rembrandt I posted. To elaborate: the cool expression (notice the slightly elevated eyebrows in each), shaded eyes and deliberate glance (the bodies are angled away which must mean that they intentionally turned their heads to look at the viewer) are seductive. The way poses are lit is visually satisfying in part because of the contrast of the indistinctness in the shadows and the glow of the lit cheek.
The paintings also satisfy other more general preferences of mine: a three-quarter view of the face, and a very optical approach to painting (emphasis on recreating the visual effect of the light).
These two images have many retina-burn factors in common, but on the other hand, one of the main reasons I like the Rembrandt is the silhouette of the dark side of his face against the light creamy background. The Vermeer doesn't have this (the opposite effect of the light side of her face against the dark background doesn't move me as much) but it does have those deliciously crisp highlights that the Rembrandt lacks. I also love Rembrandt's haze of hair. It's loosely yet delicately painted, and utterly convincing as a volumetric mass.
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