Vermeer and his World

Scarcely more than thirty-five paintings survive from Vermeer's short career and almost all concentrate upon one or two figures carefully placed in tranquil, light-filled interiors, intent upon their tasks, from pouring milk to the reading and writing of letters. This lecture will explore Vermeer’s career, the impact of the light and character of the town of Delft in which he lived and the influences of other artists upon his work.

Born in 1632, he was a generation younger than Rembrandt and nearly two generations younger than Frans Hals. However, he was not only an artist, but also a dealer and valuer, and therefore would certainly have been aware of his contemporaries' work.

Recent research has given new insights in this field. Such insights concern influences upon Vermeer's work from Pieter de Hooch, Gerard ter Borch and, particularly, Carel Fabritius. Notable also is Jacobus Vrel, who was the subject of an exhibition at the Mauritshuis in 2023, at the same time as the largest Vermeer exhibition ever mounted was wowing crowds at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. And, far from being a follower of Vermeer, Vrel has been discovered to have been a forerunner.