Johannes Vermeer
Only about 35 paintings by Johannes Vermeer are known – quiet rooms where light falls through a window and makes an ordinary moment precious.
Life
Vermeer was baptised in Delft in 1632 and spent his whole life there. In 1653 he joined the painters’ guild and later served several times as its head. He painted slowly, only a few pictures a year, and also dealt in art. He and his wife Catharina Bolnes had many children; after the war year of 1672 the art market collapsed and he fell into debt. He died in 1675, aged 43, and was only rediscovered in the 19th century.
Style & technique
Vermeer built his pictures with calm and geometry: few figures, clear planes, light from a window on the left. He used costly ultramarine made from lapis lazuli and set tiny points of light that make pearls, bread or fabric gleam. Whether he used optical aids such as the camera obscura is still debated.
Look closely
- The window: the light almost always comes from the left.
- The points of light: zoom in on pearls, metal or fabric – little bright dabs.
- The stillness: notice what is not happening – often someone has just paused.
Timeline
- 1632: Baptised in Delft.
- 1653: Joins the painters’ guild.
- c. 1664: “Woman Holding a Balance”.
- 1672: “Disaster Year”: war and the collapse of the art market.
- 1675: Dies in Delft.