Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)
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Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter and is second only to Rembrandt as the best known painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Little is known of the details of Rembrandt’s life except that he lived and worked for the most part in Delft. In fact, for two hundred years, he was all but forgotten by the art community until French critic Thore-Burger rediscovered him. Since then, Vermeer’s reputation his steadily risen and he continues to be admired today for his delicate use of light and careful composition. Though his subject matter wasn’t unique, Vermeer managed to carve a name for himself in art history through the timeless quality of his compositions.
While there is little known about Vermeer’s early life, even less is known about his artistic training. It is possible that this great master was self-taught. He became a member of the Guild of St. Luke where he was recognized as a professional artist at the age of 21. That same year, he also married a Catholic woman, with whom he had 11 surviving children. However, it wasn’t until 1657 that Vermeer was able to find financial success. That year Pieter Claesz van Ruijven purchased many of his paintings. During this time, he also worked as an art dealer to supplement his income. Though Vermeer wasn’t very prolific (or so it seems) his paintings commanded a high price. However, once Holland was invaded by the French in 1672, demand for his paintings drastically dropped and he died in poverty at the age of 43.
In general, Vermeer’s oeuvre is relatively small compared to other masters at his level. There are only some 50 paintings in total that are attributed to him, of which only 35 have survived. He typically painted interior domestic scenes, and his total oeuvre generally consists of genre pieces. Even his only few known landscapes are painted as though from inside looking out a window.
He also created a few cityscapes, as well as portraits, of which one of his most famous was “The Girl with the Pearl Earring.”
Art historians seem to think that Vermeer may have used a camera obscura to help him create perfect positioning in his paintings. This is a matter of dispute between art historians, and is an argument supported by the way that light is perceived in his paintings. Some critics say that this look was a result of light being captured through a lens, rather than the naked eye.
Historically, Vermeer is also a popular artist among forgers as well, in the past as well as today. One of his most famous forgers was fellow painter Hans van Meegeren who was a Dutch painter working in the classic style. In order to prove his critics wrong, van Meegeren successfully forged a Vermeer painting, and works by other painters as well. His skill for forging these works shocked the art community and has now made it even more difficult to attribute authenticity of works to Vermeer.
However, this doesn’t mean that it is impossible for unknown works by Vermeer to surface. In the 19th century, nearly 70 of his works were catalog, and since then half of these have disappeared. Could they have been destroyed, or sold and simply lost? Most recently, a painting of a seated young woman dismissed as a fake has been confirmed as the work of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. “Young Woman Seated at the Virginal”, is the first Vermeer to come on the market for 80 years and is expected to fetch more than £3 million.
The painting languished in near-obscurity after being “de-attributed” in 1947 when master forger Han van Meegeren revealed he had sold seven fake Vermeers to museums and collectors. The painting was dismissed and largely forgotten until it was bought by the Belgium dealer and collector Baron Frederic Rolin in 1960. But it wasn’t until 1993 that Baron Rolin decided to research if it was an authentic Vermeer. Tests showed the canvas and pigment matched those that characterized Vermeer’s work. A program of restoration then revealed the true beauty of the picture. The painting, which measures 10 by 8 inches will takes its place alongside 35 other works currently ascribed to Vermeer.
A painting of a seated young woman dismissed as a fake has been confirmed as the work of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. Young Woman Seated at the Virginals, will be the first Vermeer to come on the market for 80 years and is expected to fetch more than 5 million dollars. Researchers have spent more than ten years studying the painting, which languished in near-obscurity after being “de-attributed” from Vermeer in 1947 when master forger Han van Meegeren revealed he had sold seven fake Vermeers to museums and collectors. The painting was dismissed and largely forgotten until it was bought by the Belgium dealer and collector Baron Frederic Rolin in 1960. But it wasn’t until 1993 that Baron Rolin began researching the picture. Tests showed the canvas and pigment matched those that characterized Vermeer’s work. A program of restoration then revealed the true beauty of the picture. The painting, which measures 10in by 8in, takes its place alongside 35 works that had previously been thought to be the artist’s entire output, including Girl With A Pearl Earring. Still wondering about a Dutch Golden Age painting hanging in your family’s estate? Contact us…it could be by Johannes Vermeer.