Jan Vermeer van Delft is today considered one of the most famous Dutch painters of the Golden Age. During his lifetime he was a moderately successful genre painter who produced only a few paintings. Of these only about 37 have survived today. But his few paintings, such as "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" or "Maid with a Milk Jug", are among the most popular and expensive works of art in the world. Vermeer painted with great care and liked to use expensive pigments. Most of the works show scenes from the domestic life of the middle class. He also produced some city views and history paintings. His special talents were the realistic depiction of figures and objects, and a fascination with light and shadow. This made his pictures so unique.
For a long time hardly anything was known about Vermeer's career. Even today there are still many gaps that have been filled with speculations. Vermeer's father was a weaver and art dealer. The family was not wealthy, but had enough money to buy and run an inn in Delft. After the death of his father in 1652, Vermeer inherited both the art trade and the restaurant. But he did not seem to have any particular interest in the business and preferred to devote himself to painting. Who Vermeer apprenticed with is not documented. Many believe that he was a student of Carel Fabritius, who in turn was a student of Rembrandt. Others suspect that he taught himself and used his father's contacts in the art dealer scene to acquire expert knowledge. His style was clearly influenced by Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio, which is why others suspect that he either learned in the Utrecht school, for example at Gerrit van Honthorst, or at least was influenced by their works. He became a member of the Delft painters' guild in 1653. Among Vermeer's close friends was the Delft painter Leonard Bramer.
In 1653 Vermeer married the Catholic Catharine Bolnes. For this reason, Vermeer, who had been brought up Protestantly, converted shortly before the marriage, presumably at the request of his future mother-in-law Maria Thins. She was a distant relative of the Utrecht painter Abraham Bloemaert and considerably wealthier than Vermeer. The young couple therefore moved into her large house. Vermeer lived and worked there until the end of his life. He had set up his studio on the second floor of the house. The couple had a total of 15 children, but 4 of them died before their baptism. Vermeer died in 1675 after a short illness. The notorious catastrophic year had hit him hard and ruined him financially. His wife Catharine later wrote about her husband, that he was ruined by the stress and financial pressure. He left his wife and 11 children with considerable debts, so that the family was forced to sell many of his paintings and his passionately assembled art collection in order to survive.
×
Passionate Customer Service
.jpg "Girl with a Pearl Earring by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Milkmaid by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "View on Delft by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "View of Houses in Delft, known as The Little Street by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Geographer by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Art of Painting by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Astronomer by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Lacemaker by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "View of Delft, Netherlands, after the fire by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl with a Red Hat by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Woman Reading a Letter in Blue by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Woman Reading a Letter by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl with a Pearl Earring by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Concert by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl Reading a Letter by an Open Window by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl Interrupted at Her Music by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Love Letter by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Woman Holding a Balance by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Man and Lady with Wine by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Woman with a Balance. Around 1664 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Milkmaid by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "A Young Lady Seated at a Virginal, c.1670 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Portrait of a Young Woman by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Young Woman Sitting at a Virginal. Around 1670-72 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Lady with Her Maidservant Holding a Letter by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Woman Holding a Balance by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Young Woman with a Pearl Necklace by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Diana with Her Companions by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Astronomer by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Concert by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "A Lady Writing a Letter by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Woman Reading a Letter in Blue by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Girl with the Wine Glass by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
 - (MeisterDrucke-362814).jpg "View of Delft, c.1660-61 (detail) by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
 - (MeisterDrucke-362814).jpg)
.jpg "View of Delft by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Study of a Young Woman by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Art of Painting by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Love Letter by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Girl with a Wineglass by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Art of Painting by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Officer and Laughing Girl by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl with Red Hat by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl with Flute by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Young Girl with a Flute, 1665-1675 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Artist")
.jpg)
.jpg "View of Delft (detail) by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Procuress, 1656 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Love Letter, c.1669-70 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Study for the Painting The Love Letter by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl with Red Hat. Around 1665/66 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Saint Praxedis by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Procuress by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Young Girl with a Flute, c.1665-70 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Milkmaid (detail) by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Ritanila by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Young Washerwoman by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
_Vermeer_-_The_guitar_player_c1672_(oil_on_canvas)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1460279).jpg "The Guitar Player by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
_Vermeer_-_The_guitar_player_c1672_(oil_on_canvas)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1460279).jpg)
.jpg "The Procuress by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Allegory of Faith by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Diana with Her Companions by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
 - (MeisterDrucke-104593).jpg "Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid, c.1670 (detail) by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
 - (MeisterDrucke-104593).jpg)
.jpg "Corner of Houses by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Flying Leaves by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "A Young Woman seated at a Virginal by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl with a Pearl Earring, c1665 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "A Maid Asleep by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
_Vermeer_-_Musician_and_Procuress_detail_from_The_Procuress_-_(MeisterDrucke-1455282).jpg "Musician and Procuress (detail) by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
_Vermeer_-_Musician_and_Procuress_detail_from_The_Procuress_-_(MeisterDrucke-1455282).jpg)
.jpg "Christ with Mary and Martha by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Flying Leaves by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "A Young Woman Seated at a Virginal, c. 1670 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl")
.jpg)
.jpg "A Lady Standing at the Virginals by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Flying Leaves by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Woman Reading a Letter by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Sleeping Serenissimus by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Flying Leaves by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Saint Praxedis by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Guitar Player by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Girl with a Pearl Earring by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Astronomer by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Young Woman with a Water Pitcher by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Vanity by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Lady with Maid and Letter by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Bathing Nymphs on a Steep Shore by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Saint Praxedis by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Letter Writer and Maid by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
 - (MeisterDrucke-73307).jpg "The Artist")
 - (MeisterDrucke-73307).jpg)
.jpg "The Geographer, 1669, 1911 by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Flying Leaves by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Officer and a Laughing Girl by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Concert by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "Ritanila by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
.jpg "The Allegory of Painting by Jan Vermeer van Delft")
.jpg)
+43 4257 29415
support@meisterdrucke.com
Mo-Do: 7:00 - 16:00 | Fr: 7:00 - 13:00
