Johannes Vermeer 1632 - 1675

Vermeer was born on 31st October 1632 in Delft, Holland. He was the second of two children of Reyner Janszoon and Digna Balthasars . It was not until 1632 his father began to bear the surname Vermeer. He was a silk worker and later became an innkeeper who also dealt with paintings.

The young Vermeer grow up in an inn and a large house his father bought in 1641, little is known about his early life, he spent most of it in Delft which was Holland’s fourth largest town at that time.

The town had a tradition of painting stretching back to the 15th century, but it has become something of an artistic backwater by the time of Vermeer’s birth. Sometime around 1650, several talented painters settled in the town, and Vermeer’s career coincided with a brief golden period in Delft paintings.

Vermeer is one of the most famous and popular Dutch painters, he was virtually forgotten for two centuries because he spent all his time in Delft where he was an art dealer and an innkeeper, He was an enigmatic figure who was popularly called ‘ the Sphinx of Delft’.

It was not known whom Vermeer studied; Leonard Bramer has often been suggested as a possible candidate. He was one of the famous painters in Delft at the time of Vermeer. It was said that Bramer intervened on Vermeer’s behalf when his future mother in-law, Maria Thins, refused to sign the marriage contract. There are more obvious stylistic links between Vermeer’s work and that of Carel Fabritius who was Rembrandt’s most gifted pupil, and said to have settled also in Delft in 1650 and was a well-known painter in the town.

Vermeer was made a master in painter’s guild on 29th December 1653. It is very likely that Vermeer took over his fathers art business as well. He certainly dealt in paintings and must have had a reputation as a connoisseur. He went to The Hague in 1672 to be and expert witness – the only time recorded that he ever left Delft- in a dispute over the authenticity of some Italian paintings. His famous words during briefing; when he declared that the paintings were“ no outstanding Italian paintings, but on the contrary, great pieces of rubbish”.

In 1662 – 63 and 1670 - 71 was a successful era in Vermeer’s life. He was a highly respected figure among his fellow artists in Deft. During this time, he was known as the hoofman - headman or Governor – of the painters.
Vermeer found himself in financial difficulties from 1672 to his later years; he rented out his house for 180 guilden a year and moved in with his mother-in-law. Later that year, Holland was invaded by the French, which brought economic crisis, and subsequently caused the art market to collapse.

Vermeer had a wife and eleven children, this somehow hindered his output in work, which he did as a part time activity. Only about 35 painting by him are known to survive, but these include some of the most serenely beautiful pictures in the history of art. He produced a small body of work of exceptional beauty and clarity he is best remembered for his gentle scenes of domestic life.

Vermeer died in 1675 at the age of 43, left behind eight under age children and huge financial problems for his widow.
These are some of his paintings