Johannes Vermeer and his influence on modern painting

Besides Rembrandt van Rijn , Jan Vermeer van Delft – also Johannes Vermeer – is one of the most admired Dutch artists and Dutch painters of the Baroque period .

The Dutch artist in brief – a profile

He was part of the Dutch Golden Age , an era of political, economic, and cultural flourishing. Although Vermeer's complete oeuvre is relatively small, with only 37 known paintings, further titles have survived from old auction records. The Dutch master's rare works are among the greatest treasures in the world's finest museums.

While he initially created history paintings, he is best known for his genre scenes, which comprise the majority of his work. Vermeer began his career in the early 1650s painting large-scale biblical and mythological scenes, but most of his later paintings—those for which he is most famous—depict scenes of daily life indoors. These works are distinguished by their purity of light and form, qualities that convey a serene, timeless sense of dignity. Vermeer also painted cityscapes and allegorical scenes.

His most famous works include " View of Delft", "The Milkmaid" and " Girl with a Pearl Earring", which are known worldwide today.

Due to the small number of his works, paintings by other artists were mistakenly attributed to him in the 19th century. Today, however, it is generally accepted that Vermeer was a master of his craft.

The artistic legacy of the Dutch Baroque artist Jan Vermeer (1632-1675) is today almost universally considered one of the most influential in art history. He unique painting techniques that lend his work a vibrancy and a sense of reality. He perfectly captured light in his paintings, making his works appear so realistic and lifelike. His techniques remain highly popular among artists today and are still frequently used in modern paintings.

His famous paintings, which offer a unique combination of realistic detail and subtle color palettes, have had a lasting impact on modern painting and have significantly inspired countless artists since. He revolutionized painting and taught us how to capture light in paintings and make them unique. His distinctive style has endured through the centuries and remains an important part of the art world today.

To the surprise of many, the painter was little known in his time…

Johannes Vermeer – A detailed artist portrait – Life and work

In fact, Vermeer was relatively unknown until the mid-19th century. The mystery surrounding his life and the continued anonymity of his work earned him the nickname "Sphinx of Delft." "rediscovered" in the 1870s .

Vermeer, however, sold his paintings even during his lifetime. Pieter van Ruijven (1624–1674), the Delft-born son of a brewer, was an avid collector of the artist's works. Van Ruijven owned no fewer than 20 Vermeers.

The main reason for his life and legacy remaining shrouded in mystery for so long is probably that he produced only a small number of paintings, perhaps about forty-five (of which thirty-six are known today) – mainly for a small circle of patrons in Delft.

As previously mentioned, about half of Vermeer's painted works were acquired by the local collector Pieter van Ruijven. Although Vermeer's work was known to other connoisseurs in Delft and the neighboring court city of The Hague, and some of his paintings were sold to people further afield (Antwerp and Amsterdam), most Dutch painters produced hundreds of paintings for a much wider market.

His image as an isolated figure is further reinforced by the fact that his teacher was also unknown and he apparently had no famous pupils. However, the artist was a respected member of the Delft painters' guild, and he exchanged ideas with contemporary painters active in the city (especially Pieter de Hooch in the 1650s) and the surrounding region (e.g., Frans van Mieris in Leiden).

His early years

Delft , where Vermeer was born and spent his artistic career, was a bustling and prosperous town in the mid-17th century, its wealth based on its flourishing Delftware factories, tapestry weaving mills, and breweries. Within Delft's city walls were picturesque canals and a large market square, flanked by the imposing Town Hall and the soaring spire of the Nieuwe Kerk ("New Church") . It was also a venerable city with a long and distinguished history.

The Dutch painter was baptized in the Nieuwe Kerk. His father, Reynier Jansz, was a weaver who produced a fine satin fabric called Caffa ; he was also an art dealer. By 1641, the family was wealthy enough to buy a large house with an inn called Mechelen on the market square. Vermeer inherited both the inn and the art business upon his father's death in October 1652. By this time, however, the painter must have decided that he wanted to pursue a career as a painter .

In April 1653, Vermeer married Catharina Bolnes, a young Catholic woman from the so-called Papenhoek, or Papist Corner, of Delft. The marriage to Catharina Bolnes (1631–1687) produced a total of 11 children. The modesty of the scenes he painted certainly stands in stark contrast to the reality of his lavish household.

This union also led him to convert from the Protestant faith in which he had grown up to Catholicism .

Later in that decade, Vermeer and his wife moved into the house of the bride's mother, Maria Thins, who was a distant relative of the Utrecht painter Abraham Bloemaert .

Artistic training and early influences

Surprisingly little is known about Vermeer's decision to become a painter. He was registered as a master painter in the Delft Guild of St. Luke on December 29, 1653, but the identity of his master, the nature of his training, and the timing of his apprenticeship remain the subject of much speculation.

Since his name is no longer mentioned in Delft archives in the late 1640s or early 1650s, it is possible that, like many aspiring Dutch artists, he traveled to Italy, France, or Flanders. He may also have trained in another artistic center in the Netherlands, perhaps in Utrecht or Amsterdam.

In Utrecht, Vermeer met artists who had immersed themselves in the expressive traditions of Caravaggio , including Gerrit van Honthorst . In Amsterdam, he is said to have succumbed to the influence of Rembrandt van Rijn , whose powerful chiaroscuro effects would henceforth enhance the psychological intensity of his paintings.

Stylistic features of both pictorial traditions – the Utrecht school and that of Rembrandt – can be found in Vermeer's early large-format biblical and mythological paintings such as “Diana with her Companions” (around 1653–54; also called Diana and her Nymphs) and “ Christ in the House of Mary and Martha” (around 1654–56).

The most striking convergence of the two traditions is seen in Vermeer's "The Procuress" (1656). The theme of this scene of mercenary love is derived from a painting by the Utrecht artist Dirck van Baburen from the collection of Vermeer's mother-in-law, while the deep reds and yellows and the strong chiaroscuro effects are reminiscent of Rembrandt's style.

The dimly lit figure on the left side of the composition is probably a self-portrait in which Vermeer assumes the role of the prodigal son, a role that Rembrandt had also played of "merry company"

In the early 1650s, Vermeer may also have found much inspiration in his hometown of Delft, where art was undergoing rapid change. The most important artist in Delft at that time was Leonard Bramer , who, in addition to small-format history paintings—that is, morally edifying depictions of biblical or mythological themes—also created large murals for the court of the Prince of Orange.

Documents indicate that Bramer, who was Catholic, served as Vermeer's best man at his wedding. Although it appears that Bramer was at least an early advocate for the young artist, there is no mention of him being his teacher.

Another important painter Vermeer must have known in Delft during this time was Carel Fabritius , a former pupil of Rembrandt. Fabritius's impressive, contemplative paintings and innovative use of perspective appear to have had a lasting influence on the Dutchman. This connection was noted by the poet Arnold Bon, who, in a letter about Fabritius's tragic death in the 1654 Delft Powder House explosion, observed that "Vermeer had masterfully followed [Fabritius's] path .

Vermeer was aware of Fabritius's work, but there is no evidence that he studied under Fabritius.

depicting scenes of daily life in the second half of the 1650s genre paintings are the ones with which he is most often associated. Gerard Terborch , an artist from Deventer who masterfully rendered textures in his depictions of domestic activities, may have encouraged the artist to pursue scenes of everyday life.

Terborch's influence is certainly evident in one of Vermeer's earliest genre paintings, "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window" (c. 1659), in which he created a quiet place for the young woman to read her letter. However, in contrast to Terborch's characteristically dark interiors, Vermeer bathed this remarkably private scene in a radiant light streaming in through an open window.

The painting also reveals his growing interest in illusionism , not only in the inclusion of a yellow-green curtain hanging from a pole extending over the upper part of the painting, but also in the subtle reflections of the woman's face in the open window.

Vermeer's interior scenes during this period were also influenced by the work of Pieter de Hooch , a leading genre painter in Delft at the time. De Hooch was a master at using perspective to create a light-filled interior or courtyard scene in which figures were comfortably positioned.

Although no documents link Johannes Vermeer and de Hooch, it is very likely that the two artists were in close contact during this period, as the themes and style of their paintings were quite similar. Vermeer's View of the Houses in Delft (c. 1658; also known as The Little Street) is one such work: as in de Hooch's courtyard scenes, Vermeer depicted a world of domestic tranquility, where women and children go about their daily lives in the calming surroundings of their homes.

At the height of his creative period

Beginning in the late 1650s and over the course of about a decade—a remarkably short period of productivity given his enormous reputation—Johannes Vermeer created many of his most famous paintings , most of them interior scenes. No other contemporary Dutch artist created scenes with such luminosity and purity of color, and no other painter's work was imbued with a comparable sense of timelessness and human dignity.

As he reached the pinnacle of his artistic career, the artist was finally honored and recognized in his birthplace of Delft. He was appointed head of the painters' guild in 1662. Although no commissions for Vermeer's paintings are known, it appears that during this period he primarily sold his works to a small group of patrons in Delft.

For example, more than two decades after Vermeer's death, no fewer than 21 of his paintings from the estate of Jacob Dissius , a Delft collector, were sold.

Jan Vermeer's work – themes and motifs

At the height of his career, Vermeer focused on paintings women reading or writing letters, playing musical instruments, or adorning themselves with jewelry. In these subjects, he consistently sought ways to express a sense of inner harmony within everyday life , primarily within the confines of a private room.

In paintings such as “Young Woman with Water Jug at Window (c. 1662)” , “Young Lady with Pearl Necklace” (c. 1662/64) and “Woman in Blue Reading a Letter” (c. 1663), he used the laws of perspective and the placement of individual objects – chairs, tables, walls, maps, window frames – to create a sense of the underlying order of nature .

Vermeer's carefully selected objects are never placed randomly ; their positions, proportions, colors, and textures interact with his figures. Radiant light plays across these paintings, further connecting the elements.

The emotional power of Vermeer's magnificent "View of Delft" (image above in the article) similarly stems from his ability to transform a scene from the physical world into a harmonious, timeless visual expression. In this masterpiece, the painter depicted Delft from the other side of the harbor, where cargo boats were being unloaded after navigating inland waterways.

Beyond the shadowy frieze of Delft's venerable defensive walls and massive gates, bright sunlight illuminates the tower of the Nieuwe Kerk, burial place of the Princes of Orange and the symbolic center of the city. Beyond the use of light, the painting's intensity also stems from its large scale and the tangible illusion of reality it creates. The buildings acquire a physical presence through Vermeer's suggestive way of juxtaposing small dots of unmodulated color with brushstrokes; he employed a similar technique to suggest the reflection of water on the sides of the boats.

Although he drew his inspiration from observations of everyday life, Vermeer remained at heart a history painter who sought abstract moral and philosophical ideas . This quality is particularly evident in "The Pearl Weigher" (see image above).

In this remarkable image, a woman stands serenely before a table bearing a jewelry box draped with gold and pearl threads, waiting for her small hand scales to settle. Although the subdued light entering the room and the refined textures of the jewelry and fur-trimmed jacket are rendered realistically, the painting of the Last Judgment on the back wall suggests that the artist conceived the scene allegorically.

As the woman stands next to the jewelry box and the court scene, her calm facial expression suggests a realization: she must maintain balance in her own life by not allowing fleeting worldly treasures to outweigh lasting spiritual concerns.

Surprisingly little is known about Johannes Vermeer's attitude toward his role as an artist. However, the philosophical framework for his approach to his craft can perhaps be gleaned from another work from this period, "The Art of Painting" (see illustration above). With a large curtain being drawn back, as if revealing a tableau vivant, Vermeer announced his allegorical intention for this large and imposing work.

The scene depicts an elegantly dressed lady – a representation of the allegorical figure of Clio , the muse of history, recognizable by her attributes: a laurel wreath symbolizing honor and glory, the trumpet of fame, and a large book symbolizing history. Johannes Vermeer juxtaposed Clio with a large wall map of the Netherlands to demonstrate that, through his historical awareness and his ability to paint sublime subjects, the artist had brought fame to his hometown and country.

This painting was so important to Vermeer that his widow tried to hide it from the creditors, even when the family was destitute.

Vermeer's painting techniques and working methods

Unparalleled use of light

Perhaps the most famous feature of Vermeer's greatest paintings is their luminosity . Vermeer, like no other artist, could capture light on objects – and this skill made his name famous throughout the world. The fabrics in his paintings shimmer, and the shadows on the wall are as realistic as can be imagined. The painter masterfully used light to guide our gaze.

Technical investigations have shown that Vermeer generally applied a grey or ochre-colored base layer to his canvas or panel support to create the special color harmonies of his composition.

He was very aware of the optical effects of color and created translucent effects by applying thin glazes to these base layers or to the opaque layers of color that defined his forms. His works also appear to be permeated by light, as he used small dots of unmodulated color (a pointillist technique ) – as in the aforementioned buildings and the water of “View of Delft” and in foreground objects in other works, such as the crusty bread in “Milkmaid with a Jug” and the ends of the chair in “Girl with a Red Hat” (c. 1665/66).

Depth and three-dimensionality

Vermeer was also a master at creating depth , for example by only subtly defining contours. He also played with partially obscured views —into a hallway or through an open curtain—to enhance the illusion of three-dimensional space and simultaneously heighten the viewer's curiosity, prompting us to ask: What is happening there, just out of sight?

Vibrant colors

Although he was not a wealthy man, Vermeer did not skimp when it came to painting materials. For example, he used a pigment made from ground lapis lazuli – a very expensive semi-precious stone that had to be shipped from Afghanistan to the Netherlands in the 17th century – to create his own blue paint.

The vibrant colors still shimmer with intensity when we look at them today, hundreds of years after he painted them.

Vermeer allowed colors to "resonate" throughout a painting to create a harmonious sense of unity. Notice, for example, the blue of the letter reader's clothing, which reappears in the chairs, the pear-shaped weight beneath the map on the wall, and even in the shadowed areas.

In Vermeer's time, there were no paint tubes, and he had to mix oil, a binder, and finely ground pigments to make his own.

Diffuse highlights à la camera obscura

The diffuse highlights achieved by Vermeer are comparable to those of a camera obscura , a fascinating optical device that functions similarly to a box camera. The 17th-century camera obscura produced an image by allowing light rays to enter a box through a small opening, sometimes fitted with a focusing tube and lens.

Due to the limited depth of field of the device, the projected image exhibits many blurred areas surrounded by hazy highlights. Apparently, Vermeer was fascinated by these optical effects and used them to lend his paintings a greater sense of immediacy.

Some have argued that Vermeer used the device to plan his compositions, and even that he traced the images projected onto the frosted glass on the back of the camera obscura. However, such a working process is highly unlikely.

Traditional perspective constructions

Vermeer relied primarily on traditional perspective constructions to create his sense of space. For example, it has been discovered that in many of his interior genre scenes, small pinholes are present at the vanishing point of his perspective system. Threads attached to the pins would have guided him in constructing the orthogonal lines that defined the depressions of floors, windows, and walls.

Vermeer carefully placed this vanishing point to emphasize the main compositional element of the painting.

In “The Pearl Weigher”, for example, it appears on the fingertip of the hand holding the scales, thus reinforcing its overall philosophical message.

Theatrical compositions of everyday situations

Vermeer composed his scenes as if he were building a theatre set into which he would place his subject, meticulously positioning elements such as furniture, kitchen utensils, food and human figures – each object and person in these sophisticated compositions is assigned its own importance and role.

Vermeer managed to captivate our attention in this way – this applies both to people who have often studied his paintings and to those seeing them for the first time. Details such as tiles in a corner or a nail in a white wall sometimes only "appear" belatedly.

Meticulous work ethic and pursuit of perfection

Johannes Vermeer continuously adapted and updated his compositions. X-ray examinations of his paintings have revealed objects that were hidden under thick layers of paint. These had originally been part of the composition, such as a laundry basket in "The Milkmaid," where a footstool now stands.

This striving for perfection is a characteristic trait of the artist. This love of detail helps to explain the small quantitative scope of Vermeer's creative output, even during his most prolific period. He must have worked slowly and carefully considered the nature of his composition and how he wanted to execute it.

Late work and old age

In 1670, Vermeer was again elected head of the Delft painters' guild. Vermeer's later style has a clearer character and greater atmospheric clarity than in his paintings of the 1660s. The carefully modulated tones and colors he used in these earlier works gave way around 1670 to a more direct, even bolder technique.

For example, he used sharply defined areas of color and angular rhythms to convey a sense of emotional energy in paintings, as in “Letter Writer and Maid Girl” (1670/1671) and “The Guitar Player” (around 1672).

The artist's fortunes deteriorated drastically towards the end of his life, mainly due to the disastrous economic climate in Holland following the invasion of French troops in 1672.

When Vermeer died in 1675, he left behind a wife, 11 children, and enormous debts.

Vermeer's Legacy

Vermeer's fame was not widespread during his lifetime, mainly because his paintings were collected by local patrons and because his oeuvre was relatively small in quantity. After his death, his paintings continued to be admired by a small group of connoisseurs, primarily in Delft and Amsterdam. Until the 19th century, a number of Vermeer's paintings were attributed to other, more prolific Dutch artists, including de Hooch.

However, when the French art critic Étiene-Joseph-Théophile Thoré (writing under the pseudonym William Bürger) published his enthusiastic descriptions of Vermeer's paintings in 1866, the passion for the artist's work reached a wider audience.

As private collectors and public museums actively sought to acquire his rare paintings in the early years of the 20th century , prices for his works skyrocketed. This situation encouraged the production of forgeries, the most notorious of which were those painted by Han van Meegeren in the 1930s.

fueled in part by an exhibition of his work in 1995–96 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Mauritshuis Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665), which was featured in the National Gallery's promotional materials and quickly became one of Vermeer's most famous works by the turn of the 21st century.

Since February 10, 2023, the Rijksmuseum blockbuster exhibition featuring 28 Vermeer paintings from around the world . The enormous interest in the exhibition testifies to Vermeer's popularity and the firm place he holds in the canon of art history centuries after his death.

The great Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer is the celebrated star of the largest exhibition to date of his works at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. Among the paintings on display are " The Milkmaid , " "View of Delft," and "Girl with a Pearl Earring ," in a unique gathering that Vermeer himself never saw.

As I walk through the exhibition, it becomes increasingly clear to me how Vermeer creates the perfect illusion.”

says Taco Dibbits, director of the Rijksmuseum,

It feels as if you are standing in that room, together with the painting, with the person depicted.” (AFP)

The appreciation for the artist's remarkably small oeuvre has therefore only increased over generations. Vermeer found among the accidents of nature a realm permeated by harmony and order, and by giving this realm a visual form, he revealed the poetry that exists in fleeting moments of human existence.

He rarely explained the precise meaning of his paintings, preferring instead to allow each viewer to ponder their significance. As a result, his masterpieces continue to captivate contemporary viewers, just as they must have captivated those in 17th-century Delft.

Other noteworthy video contributions about the master artist:

In this video we see the most famous works by Vermeer:

An art historical insight into Johannes Vermeer's " The Milkmaid ", currently on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Further internet resources:

• The Met – Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675)
• National Gallery of Art – Who is Vermeer?

Vermeer's influence on art history and modern art

Jan Vermeer can be considered one of the greatest driving forces behind modern art. His works influenced artists both up to the 20th century and those of today. Although Vermeer received little recognition during his lifetime, his influence was undoubtedly acknowledged later. His works were unique and an inspiration to many artists.

His subtle colors, apparent simplicity, and photographic realism were a revelation to many 20th-century artists, including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse . Furthermore, Vermeer's influence on modern art has encouraged contemporary artists to incorporate different techniques and styles into their work. His paintings have challenged subsequent artists to think and paint about the world in new ways, rather than focusing solely on the technical aspects of painting.

His works have also had an impact on other art forms – Vermeer's influence can be found in music and literature.

To this day, he shows artists how to combine light and color in an almost symbiotic way to create impressive and realistic images. His works are characterized by an impressive precision that has been a great source of inspiration for many other artists. His techniques and ideas have been imitated and further developed by many artists, so they remain popular with many artists today.

His influence is undeniable and his works are a unique addition to the art world.