I was first attracted to Johannes Vermeer
after receiving a reproduction of his painting “Girl with the pearl earring” as
a gift twenty years ago. It still is my favourite, but I very quickly came to
appreciate all of Vermeer’s paintings. One of my biggest dreams is to visit the
Vermeer museum in Delft, which might happen soon, on my own, because Sweetheart
is not a Vermeer fan.
I enormously love TASCHEN’s art books and
have them for a variety of artists. This series is not only affordable, but it
is rich in information. This art book features a detailed chronological summary
of the life and works of Vermeer, covering his cultural and historical
importance. It also contains a concise biography and it is full of illustrations
with explanatory captions.
The author of this book, Norbert Schneider
(born in 1945), is Professor of Art History at the University of Karlsruhe. His
research focuses on the art history of the Middle Ages and early modern times.
Little is known about Johannes Vermeer
(1632-1675). We do know that he was the second child and only son of Reynier
Jansz, a specialist in silk weaving who simultaneously practised the profession
of art dealer. Vermeer married Catharina Bolnes in 1653 and lived in Delft. All
of his paintings were done in his workshop in the attic of the house of his
very wealthy mother-in-law, Maria Thins.
Vermeer only produced 35 paintings; he was
one of the great masters of the golden age of Dutch art. He sold very few of
his works as he relied on other means to support his family. Most of his
paintings (all shown in this book) depict women going about their daily
business. Vermeer recorded the tasks and duties of women, the imperatives of
virtue under which their lives were lived.
The last years of Johannes Vermeer were
darkened by the dramatic deterioration of his finances. This afflicted him to
the point of ruining his health and he died in a short space of time. He left
11 underage children.
