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Jan Vermeer, Man of Mystery (1632-75)

Johannes Vermeer van Delft, more commonly known as Jan Vermeer, represents one of the most mysterious figures among all painters. He is a paragon of questions and controversy.

Although he lived his entire life in Delft (Holland), much of Vermeer's history is unknown. His body of work, that which can be confidently credited to his hand, is quite small. Today, fewer than 40 paintings exist, and most portray household genre, portraits and city views. Yet, his paintings are hailed as some of the most exquisite neoclassic work in Western Art. He is categorized as a "genre" painter due to the realistic subjects and simplicity of activities documented.

The training Vermeer had is not documented with any certainty. It is thought that he may have apprenticed with Karel Fabritius (then a famous Dutch painter of portraits) or perhaps in Italy under Felice Ficherelli. Additional influence most probably included Rembrandt.

Despite the limited number of works and the limited scope of subject matter, Vermeer's luscious canvases displayed an acute awareness and application of the effects of light and color. Together with a sensitivity to spatiality (his subjects exist in harmony with their surroundings) and a certain poetic quality in those simple images, he is considered a master. Although he was highly regarded in his lifetime, he never attained wealth. At his death, he left his wife and 11 children heavily in debt. To retire the debt, she gave away several of his paintings to the local baker and other creditors. The remainder of his paintings were sold at auctions or given to friends and family.

Because of the sketchy record of his life, it has been theorized that Vermeer may not have relied exclusively on his art to support himself. This is supported by the limited information on him and his work, and the few references that exist include references to works that exist today. Because documentation on Vermeer is splintered, one obscure theory even projects the idea that perhaps "Vermeer" works may not have been done by one person but may be a jumbled collection of works by several painters named Vermeer. Some of those painters might include Jan ver der Meer of Utrecht or Catharina Vermeer, a woman painter, but not Vermeer's wife (also named Catharina). It is little wonder that there is so much confusion.

Be that as it may, Vermeer's name and reputation were all but forgotten and his work was admired only by a small group of collectors until the late 19th century. It was at that time that art critic Thore Burger published an essay attributing 66 paintings to Vermeer, and all of those works became widely known. It was later confirmed that only 34 of these paintings could definitely be credited to Vermeer. Much confusion and many questions stem from the fact that during WWII, Vermeer's works were forged and sold to the Germans. The Allies discovered several cases of suspected forgeries after the end of the war, but no real proof was ever found as to the number of forgeries.

To further complicate the issue of who painted what and when, only three of Vermeer's works were dated at completion. These three paintings are considered "history" paintings, painted in a warm palette of rich golds and reds, and in a large format, after which almost all of his paintings fall into the category of contemporary subject matter (contemporary images of his time) and are of a much smaller size. They also employ a different tonal palette. Colors changed from warm in those early works to cool, dominated by deep blues, lemon yellows, olive greens and clear dove grays. These colors were often delicately balanced with vivid touches of bright red and golden brown. In his use of white pigment, no painter ever surpassed him. It is to this period that practically all of his remaining paintings belong.

Contemporary works, again the bulk of his work, usually depict indoor, domestic spaces with one or two figures. A genius for composition and the lighting within paintings are trademarks of Vermeer's work. Light usually streams from a source to the left of the subject, nearly always light from a window. Each work emits a sense of serenity, balance and order.

Vermeer is believed to have employed the use of camera obscura, an instrument that is composed of a lens in a box. Light penetrates the lens; the image is enlarged and transmitted onto a screen. Use of this camera may have contributed to the near photographic quality of his imagery, but it is uncertain whether Vermeer would actually trace the projected images. Many art historians support this belief because of his ability to exactly duplicate maps and other artists' works within his paintings.

Visit the following website to see 18 of Vermeer's works: www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vermeer/.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 11 No. 8 -- June 2001