"The top clerk" by Jan Vermeer van Delft, Limit. Giclée reproduction

Johannes Vermeer is one of the most outstanding Dutch painters of the baroque age. His significant artistic career can be traced in Delft on October 31, 1632 in Delft and his burial on December 15, 1675. At a time when Delft had no formal painting school, Vermeer, the son of a silk swivel, art dealer and innkeeper, received a manual training that prepared him for his later path as an artist. His entry into the Delft Lukasgilde in 1650 testifies to his active work as a painter. Only 37 paintings are known from his artistic work today. Vermeer was primarily devoted to genre painting; Portraits or religious works are rarely found in his oeuvre. The interior views of his pictures radiate an atmosphere of silence, security and inner calm. The painter was able to achieve these unique effects through the skillful use of subtle color harmonies and sophisticated shadow areas. He was also a master of the shortened perspective that gives his works an impressive spatial depth. His genre pictures usually show only a few figures and often carry a symbolic meaning - a characteristic that has inspired the interest in Vermeer's art through the centuries. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of this extraordinary artist and discover the timeless beauty of his works!