John Vermeer (Vermeer of Delft, 1632-1675) - Dutch artist-painter, master household painting and genre portrait. Along with Rembrandt and Frans Hals, he is one of greatest painters golden age Dutch art.
Biography of Jan Vermeer
Very little is known about Vermeer's life. He was born (at least baptized) on October 31, 1632 in Delft, in the family of a merchant entrepreneur. Jan was the second child in the family and the only son of his parents. His father was from Antwerp; in 1611 he moved to Amsterdam and worked as a silk weaver. In 1653 he married, moved to Delft and became the owner of an inn. He continued to engage in silk weaving and was also registered with the Delft Guild of St. Luke as an art dealer.
No reliable information has been preserved about Vermeer's years of apprenticeship. It is known that on December 29, 1653, Jan Vermeer was admitted to the Guild of St. Luke. According to the terms of the guild, membership in it was preceded by six years of serious painting training from a master who was a member of the guild.
Jan Vermeer knew the artists Leonart Bramer and Gerard ter Borch. Based on this fact, assumptions were made that Vermeer may have studied with one of them. In addition, the hypothesis that Vermeer’s teacher was the artist Carel Fabritius, in turn a student of Rembrandt, is extremely widespread, but has no evidence.
Vermeer's work
Of course, Vermeer had a huge influence on his work. Dutch master genre painting Pieter de Hooch, who lived in Delft from 1652 to 1661. His style has found further development in Vermeer's paintings.
A deep poetic feeling, impeccable taste, and subtle colorism determine the work of the most outstanding of the masters of genre painting, the third after Hals and Rembrandt, the great Dutch painter - Jan Wermeer of Delft.
Possessing an amazingly keen eye and filigree technique, he achieved poetry, integrity and beauty of the figurative solution, paying great attention to the transmission of light air environment.
Vermeer's artistic heritage is relatively small, since he worked on each painting slowly and with extraordinary care. To earn money, Vermeer was forced to engage in the painting trade.
However, the originality of Vermeer's creative individuality was already revealed in his early paintings. Based on the plot of the painting “At the Pimp” (1656, Dresden, Art Gallery) was not much different from similar paintings by other Dutch genre painters, but her big size, a bold, rich palette built on contrasts of cinnabar-red, yellow, black and white tones, extraordinary character and power of imagery - all this conveys true significance and innovative character Wermeer's work.
And his subsequent paintings, but based on subjects, and sometimes compositional techniques, are close to the works of other masters: these are images of one or more figures in the interior, a woman at the window reading a letter or trying on a necklace, a maid arranging groceries, a lady and a gentleman offering her a glass of wine. However, the artistic structure of these works is distinguished by poetry, beauty and harmony, into which the artist transforms real images of everyday reality. Particularly harmonious and clear in compositional construction painting “Girl with a Letter” (late 1650s, Dresden, Art Gallery), painting, saturated with air and light, sustained in bronze-green, reddish, golden tones, among which sparkle yellow and blue paints, predominant in the foreground still life.
Slowly confident in her movements, charming and natural is the woman of the people in the painting “The Maid with a Jug of Milk”, permeated with bright optimism (1657-1660, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum) and recreating a special, poetic atmosphere Everyday life.
For Vermeer, man is inseparable from the poetic world, which the artist admires and which finds such a unique refraction in his creations, which in their own way embody the idea of beauty, the measured, calm flow of life, and human happiness.
Vermeer's amazing skill is also revealed in two landscapes he painted, which are among the remarkable examples of this genre of painting not only in Dutch, but also in world art. The motif of the painting “Street” (circa 1658, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum), or rather, a small part of it, with the facade of a brick house, depicted on a gray, cloudy day, is extremely simple.
Gravitation towards the image sunlight, airy environment, harmony and clarity of vision of the world, mastery of generalization combined with an amazing sense of detail and colorful nuance, contemplative calm and poeticization of reality - all these features put Vermeer among the greatest poetic painters in world painting.
Very little is known about the life of the painter. Due to meager biographical information and a very small number of works, each of which, in terms of the level of technical skill and emotional response, places him among the greatest artists of all time, Vermeer is also called the Sphinx of Delft (after his place of birth - Delft).
As already mentioned, Vermeer's legacy is rather modest. In total, the most thorough searches have so far revealed 34 of his works that are reliably genuine and another 5 that are questionable. The subjects of Vermeer's paintings are similar to the subjects of the paintings of his contemporaries. He followed fashion trends and reflected on the canvas themes that were in use in everyday life. Most of the artist’s works are compositions with a few figures in the smallest details painted interiors, there are several portraits and several landscapes of the city by his hand.
It is known that Vermeer painted only 2-3 paintings a year, but during his lifetime he received very good money for them. He greatly valued his creative independence and did not try very hard to adapt to the laws of the market.
Vermeer's paintings are extremely clear to understand, but, on the other hand, this simplicity in composition required not only the ability to look, but also to see. He tried to put into his works secret meaning, for which he used a language of symbols that was understandable to his contemporaries.
The artist Jan Vermeer is one of the so-called Golden Age of Dutch fine art. He is considered an unsurpassed master of genre portraits and household painting. His name stands on a par with Rembrandt. Since the place of birth and death of the artist is one town near The Hague, in the Russian tradition of art history he is called Jan Vermeer of Delft. In this article we will look at the life and creative path painter.
Childhood and youth
We do not know the exact date of birth of the artist. But he was baptized on the last day of October 1632 in one of the parish churches of Delft. Contrary to all ideas about large families of that time, Jan Vermeer's father had, besides a son, only a daughter. She was twelve years old at the time of her brother's birth. We know almost nothing about the master’s mother, Digna Baltes. Janson Reineer moved from Antwerp to Amsterdam in 1611 and was engaged in silk weaving. Having already married, he migrated to Delft and bought an inn there. We don’t know the reason, but for some reason he changed his last name and first name. The owner of the Mechelen Hotel was now called Reiner van Vos. He did not give up weaving and enrolled in the Guild of St. Luke - a workshop that united all art workers. Vermeer Jan also joined this “union” in the twenty-first year of his life, whose paintings shocked the world a few years later.
Education
One thing is clear: the son did not follow in his father’s footsteps and did not learn silk weaving. Who did he take drawing lessons from? After all, in order to become a member of the Guild of St. Luke, it was necessary to earn the title of master. And this, in turn, was preceded by at least six years of study and stay in the status of an apprentice. The record that John Vermeer of Delft became a member of the guild dates back to the end of December 1653. This means that the teenager decided on a profession and began studying in his fifteenth year of life. Who was his teacher? Most art historians agree that it could be either Leonart Bramer or Gerard ter Borch. There is also a version that was not found documentary evidence what to do first steps in fine arts Jan Vermeer was assisted by Carel Fabricius, a former student of Rembrandt. Unconditional influence on young artist provided by Pieter de Hooch. Vermeer inherited his style of genre painting in his canvases. But Hooch could not be the teacher of the young genius, since he lived in Delft only from 1652.
Personal life
While still a contender for the position of free master in the Guild of St. Luke, Jan Vermeer got married. His chosen one was Katharina Bolnes, the daughter of a successful entrepreneur who owns a brick kiln factory near Delft. On the way to marriage, the lovers faced obstacles, but not of a material nature. The fact is that Jan Vermeer was from a Protestant family, and his bride was from a Catholic one. The girl’s mother, Maria Bolnes, at first flatly refused the applicant for her daughter’s hand in marriage. It took the intercession of Bramer, also a Catholic, for the heart of the future mother-in-law to soften. The wedding took place on April 20, 1653. According to the agreement, the newlyweds moved into the bride's house. But the artist continued to support his mother, who ran the hotel. John Vermeer and Katharina Bolnes had fifteen children, but only eleven survived. Artists of that time often depicted wives or lovers in their canvases. Vermeer Jan did not remain aloof from this trend. The artist's paintings sometimes depict Katarina. For example, we can see her, pregnant, in the canvas “Woman with Scales.”
Career
The artist's family was not poor. Initially, the Mechelen Hotel, located on the main market square of Delft, helped feed the large family. Artists in the Netherlands usually did not live in poverty. Pictures and objects applied arts were very much in demand in Dutch society. Masters of lesser talent made huge fortunes for themselves by painting several canvases a month. But Jan Vermeer did not like to rush. He painted two paintings within a year. Such slowness terribly annoyed his mother-in-law, but not the patrons. They were ready to pay a lot of money for his paintings. The main admirers of the master’s work were Hendrik van Buyten and Jacob Dissius, a baker and publisher in Delft. The fact that the painting of John Vermeer was appreciated by his contemporaries is evidenced by the fact that the artist was twice elected dean of the Guild of St. Luke (in 1662-1663, and also 1670-1671).
last years of life
The master of genre painting was also valued as an art critic. The only trip out of town in Vermeer’s life was connected with this. He would never have left Delft if Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg, had not been offered the purchase of a collection of Roman and Venetian paintings. So the artist went as an expert to The Hague to check the authenticity of the paintings. A notarial deed has been preserved, which indicates that the masters Jordaens Jacob and Vermeer Jan considered the paintings to be not authentic and worth a tenth of the asking price. With such favor, the artist ended his days almost in poverty. In 1672, the Dutch-French war began, which lasted seven years. The art trade has come to a standstill. Vermeer was forced to take out loans to feed his large family. In 1675, the artist fell ill and died suddenly. His entire inheritance went to creditors.
Vermeer Jan: creativity of the early period
Young Master for a long time was influenced by the Italian Baroque. His early paintings highlight the monumentality and sublimity of his images. The artist turns to religious themes (“Christ with Mary and her sister Martha”). The Dutch master of genre painting Pieter de Hooch also has his influence. His style was continued and developed in Vermeer's paintings. Most meaningful picture This period can be called the large-figure canvas “At the Procurement”. It is believed that the character on the right is a self-portrait of the artist. The composition of the canvas “At the Pimp” is bright, full of youthful enthusiasm and sensuality. Tonal coloring is boldly combined with sonorous spots of pure color. Since the late 1650s, the artist has been changing his painting style. He paints small canvases with one or several characters and pays attention not so much to the plot as to the general mood and atmosphere of the scene. At the same time, he carefully writes out the details, thinks through the lighting, which transforms the interior of a small city room. Typical paintings for this period are “Girl with a Letter”, “The Milkmaid”, “The Lacemaker”.
Jan Vermeer: "Girl with a Pearl Earring"
Exactly this famous painting artist. It belongs to the Hague Museum, but it is almost never possible to catch it on site - so often it tours the world. And the girl depicted in the painting is often called the “Mona Lisa of the North.” The master in this painting reached the peak of his genius. The young girl is like the personification of tender femininity. The entire canvas is imbued with endless lyricism. Turning the head with a defenseless look, pearl-blue colors of the scarf on dark background as if they were glowing. Who did Jan Vermeer depict in the painting? A girl with a pearl earring... It could be Maria, the artist's eldest daughter. But, as opponents of this point of view claim, the first-born in the family appeared in 1653. Consequently, at the time of painting (1665) Mary was only twelve. No matter how young the girl in the picture is, she is still clearly older than the artist’s daughter.
Late paintings
At the end of the 60s of the seventeenth century, the artist slightly changed his style. Now he has two favorite topics. These are gentlemen and ladies who conduct gallant conversations, savor wine or play music in richly decorated rooms. Examples include "Love Letter" and "Young Woman with a Guitar." And the second theme is people who are passionate about their work. The inquisitive mind of man is depicted in the paintings “Astronomer”, “Geographer”, “In the Artist’s Studio”. The work and occupations of women is another topic that he addresses at the end of his short life Vermeer Jan. The paintings “Lacemaker”, “Lady at the Spinet”, “Woman in Blue Reading a Letter” and “Girl Trying on a Necklace” are vivid examples of this period of the artist’s work.
Girl with a Pearl Earring 1660s, Mauritshuis, The Hague
This painting of the famous Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer is also known as "The Girl's Head". And this is no coincidence. The master did not set himself the goal of painting a portrait of a specific person. He created a generalized image of a teenage girl who is about to turn into a young girl. A thin, barely noticeable line has just separated Vermeer's heroine from carefree childhood. And the child’s curiosity in his big shining eyes is mixed with unconscious female coquetry.
Vermeer tries to draw the viewer's attention to the face of his heroine. It was the only thing that interested the artist when creating the work. Yellow headband covering hair, large pearl earring, white collar - all these are just details that add nothing to the girl’s appearance. And the master’s plan was a success: within three seconds more than centuries youth itself looks at the viewer from this picture.
Girl trying on a necklace, 1662-1664
Lady at the Virginal 1670-1672
Lady at the Spinet 1670-1672
Virginal Lady and Cavalier, 1662-1665
Glass of wine 1661
Concert 1665
Young woman with a guitar, 1671-1672
Girl with a jug of water, 1662
Lady in Blue Reading a Letter, 1663
Lacemaker 1669-1670
Love Letter 1666
Woman busy with scales, 1663
An officer and a cheerful girl, 1657
Maid with a jug of milk, 1660
Lady and two gentlemen 1659
Young woman, writing a letter, 1665
Girl reading a letter by the window, 1657
Girl Asleep, 1657 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Jan Vermeer van Delft
"Procuress", 1656 (detail)
It is believed that the character standing on the left is a self-portrait.
A deep poetic feeling, impeccable taste, and subtle colorism determine the work of the most outstanding of the masters of genre painting, the third after Hals and Rembrandt, the great Dutch painter - Jan Wermeer of Delft (1632-1675). Possessing an amazingly keen eye and filigree technique, he achieved poetry, integrity and beauty of the figurative solution, paying great attention to the transfer of the light-air environment. Vermeer's artistic heritage is relatively small, since he worked on each painting slowly and with extraordinary care. To earn money, Vermeer was forced to engage in the painting trade.
Marriage
There is an entry dated April 5, 1653, in which 21-year-old John Vermeer expresses his intention to marry Katharina Bolnes, the daughter of William Bolnes, a successful owner of a brick factory in Gouda. Her mother, Maria Thins, initially opposed the marriage. It seemed to her, who lived in complete prosperity, that due to the significant debts of the artist’s father, her daughter’s financial situation would be precarious. Her own family life was unsuccessful, her husband was distinguished by a violent, quarrelsome character, and the matter ended in divorce in 1649. Perhaps Maria Thins tried to protect her youngest daughter from a similar fate.
Vermeer performed by Colin Firth
The young couple got married 2 weeks later, on April 20, in a small church in the suburbs of Delft. At first they lived in “Mechelen”, but in 1660 they moved to their mother-in-law’s house on Oude Langendijk, in the so-called “Papist Quarter”, where the Jesuit mission was located. The master in those years had a high income and could easily feed his ever-increasing family: Katarina gave birth to 15 children, four of whom died at a very early age. Although it should be noted that the means for a comfortable existence were not provided by the sale of paintings (the painter painted hardly more than two works a year). Wermeer was fed by the same Mechelen. “Side activities” of this kind were not uncommon in the practice of Dutch masters. This can be seen in the example of Jan Steen, who in 1654 rented the brewery “De hose” (“At the snake”) in Delft.
Relations with my mother-in-law gradually improved. Maria Thins had by this time divorced her husband Reiner Bolnes, the owner of a brick factory, and had significant income from real estate, valuables and assets. Having received the inheritance of her sister Cornelia, from 1661 she became the owner of land plots, among which were estates near Schonhoven (“Bon Repos”), rented out. Maria Thins's wealth is evidenced by the notarized inventory of her home. It included a huge inventory of furniture, dresses and household utensils, as well as eleven rooms, a basement and a barn.
Wermer's family lived in the lower rooms; on the upper floor the artist had a studio with two easels and three palettes.
Facade of Mechelen from an engraving of 1720
“...The workshop was a spacious square room, slightly shorter in length than the lower corridor. Now that the windows were open, the whitewashed walls, white and gray marble slabs on the floor with a pattern of square crosses seemed to fill it with light and air. Along the bottom of the wall, to protect the whitewash, there is a row of Delft tiles with cupids. Although the room is large, there is very little furniture in it: an easel with a chair placed in front of the middle window, and a table pushed towards the window in the right corner. In addition to the chair on which I climbed to open the window, there was another leather chair at the table, but without embossing - simply upholstered with nails with wide heads and decorated on top with carved lion heads. There was a small chest of drawers against the back wall behind an easel and chair. His drawers were closed, and on top lay a diamond-shaped knife and clean palettes. Next to the chest of drawers stood a desk littered with papers, books and engravings. Two more chairs, decorated with lion heads, stood against the wall next to the door. The room was very neat. It was very different from the other rooms: you could even think that you were in a completely different house. When the door was closed, there was almost no noise from children, the jingling of Katarina’s keys, the rustling of our brooms…” Tracy Chevalier “Girl with a Pearl Earring”
The heavy oak table, which appears in many of Vermeer’s paintings, also stood there, and the leather-upholstered chairs he often reproduced “lived” here. Maria Thins had several paintings in her possession, which Vermeer used as “claves interpretandi” (“keys to understanding”) for his own creations.
“...I will forever remember the first impression that the hallway made on me: what a multitude of paintings! I stopped in the doorway, clutching my bundle and widening my eyes in amazement. I had seen paintings before - but not in such quantity and not in one room. On the most big picture two nearly naked men were depicted wrestling. I didn’t remember such a story in the Bible and thought it was probably a Catholic story. Other paintings were on more familiar themes: still lifes with fruit, landscapes, ships at sea, portraits. It seemed like they were written various artists. Which of them belong to the brush of my new owner? Somehow I imagined his paintings differently. Subsequently, I learned that the paintings were painted by other artists - the owner rarely left completed paintings in the house. He was not only an artist, but also an art dealer, and paintings hung on the walls in almost every room, even where I slept ... " Tracey Chevalier "Girl with a Pearl Earring"
Creation
Vermeer played by Colin Firth
Probably, Vermeer wrote little for the art market: for the most part he created his works for patrons and philanthropists who especially appreciated his art. This may explain the small number of works he created.
One of his patrons was Hendrik van Buyten, a baker. Perhaps it was he who met the French nobleman Balthasar de Monconi during his stay in Delft in 1663. He wrote in his diary: “In Delft I saw the painter Vermeer, who did not have a single work of his own. But one of them was shown to me by a local baker, who paid 600 livres for it, although it depicted only one figure - the price, in my opinion, was no more than six pistoles” (“a pistole” then corresponded to ten guilders).
Another patron of Vermeer was the Delft printing house owner Jacob Dissius, who lived nearby (on the same Marktfeld square) in his own house. An inventory of his property published in 1682 mentions nineteen paintings by Vermeer. The support of the collector, the wealthy Delft merchant Van Ruyven, who paid substantial sums for Vermeer’s paintings, was also very tangible. His collection included 21 (!) works by Wermeer.
The earliest works, with their large format, broad pictorial style, and interest in certain subjects, reveal Vermeer’s familiarity with the work of Amsterdam historical painters and Utrecht followers of Caravaggio. But again, one can only guess whether he studied in these cities or saw the works of artists in his native Delft.
Last years of life. Death
IN last years During the life of the great Dutchman, his financial situation deteriorated sharply. He got into debt and was forced to take out loans. On July 5, 1675, Vermeer traveled to Amsterdam to obtain a loan of 1,000 guilders there.
The Franco-Dutch War, which began in 1672, during which French troops rapidly advanced into the northern part of the United Provinces, was a disaster for the artist. After the opening of the dams (an extreme measure designed to stop the advance of the French army), vast areas of the country were flooded, among them the lands near Schonhoven, leased by Maria Thins. As a result, the rent, which was a reliable source of income for the Wermer family, ceased to be received. Beginning in 1672, the year of the disaster, he could no longer sell paintings.
It is not known what happened, but it happened a week after St. Nicholas Day. Was it an infection that the pharmacist failed to treat? Cold? Acute melancholy, developing into depression? IN latest paintings Vermeer appears a certain negligence, unsteadiness of the brush. Katarina had her own view of what happened: “Because of this war, he, who felt a great responsibility to the children, for whom he had no more funds, fell into such melancholy and such despair that in a day and a half he lost his health and died.” Wermeer was buried on December 15, 1675 in the Old Church of Delft in the family crypt. The remains of his child, who had died two years earlier, were removed and placed on top of his father's coffin.
Widow and children
Catharina Bolnes Vermeer performed by Essie Davis
Vermeer left behind 11 children, 8 of whom were still living in parental home. Katarina Bolnes was unable to pay off her debts. She was forced to transfer management of her land plots to the High Court in The Hague, renounce the right to inheritance and cede it to creditors.
3 months after the artist’s funeral, bailiffs came to the house to seize the property for debts. Everything that was in the house was divided into 2 parts - the property of Vermeer's widow could be sold in full, and the things that Katharina owned with her mother could not be sold, but half the cost had to be paid for them. Thanks to this surviving inventory (it was first published in the magazine "Old Holland" in 2001), we know what the house looked like and what was in each of the rooms.
At this time, Katarina’s works from her husband remained “The Artist’s Workshop” and “The Lady Trying on a Pearl Necklace.” On February 24, 1676, to pay off her debts, she gave the “Artist’s Workshop” to her mother. It was very difficult for Katarina to part with her husband’s paintings, because she herself is depicted in several of them.
Although Vermeer's reputation remained strong among collectors and his paintings were highly valued, Vermeer's family was forgotten immediately after his death. They were able to survive only thanks to the support of Maria Thins. During their 22 years of marriage, the Vermeers had 15 children. None of them inherited their father's talent or had an outstanding career.
Mary (1654-1713) married silk merchant Gillison Cramer at the age of 20.
Janis (b. 1663), with income from his maternal uncle's farm, was educated at a Catholic college in the south of the Netherlands. In 1678 he was injured in the explosion of a powder magazine in Delft, but recovered and later became a lawyer in Bruges. His son (Vermeer's grandson), also Janis, was brought up in Delft in the house of his aunt Maria, married a local girl and moved to Leiden, where he had 5 children (the artist's great-grandchildren).
Francis (1666-1713?) became a surgeon in Charloist, a village south of Rotterdam.
The rest of the daughters did not marry and mostly died in poverty.
For Katarina, 22 years of life with Vermeer were perhaps the happiest time in her life. After Vermeer's death, misfortunes did not leave her. Katarina was basically pregnant all their years family life, and after the death of her husband she was left with debts, a small army of minor children and an aging mother. Maria Thins lived to be 87, outliving her son-in-law (she was about 70 when Vermeer died). Katarina herself survived her husband by 12 years. Unfortunately, only fragmentary records have survived from which it is possible to reconstruct her life during this period.
Basically these are promissory notes. At the end of December 1687, Katharina died. She was buried on January 2. The funeral was paid for by daughter Maria.
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The middle of the 17th century is new stage in development Dutch painting. The everyday genre at this time is enriched with new artistic possibilities and expands its formal boundaries. Creativity of some artists everyday genre reaches the heights of philosophical generalizations. At the same time, the everyday genre improves on the achievements of the previous period. This process was especially embodied in the art of Jan Vermeer.
Vermeer is one of the most mysterious figures in all Dutch art of the 17th century. During his lifetime this artist was famous master, but completely forgotten already at the turn of the 18th century. During his lifetime he was called the "Sphinx of Delft", and he was very popular. Vermeer is recognized as a great painter, his name began to be mentioned along with Rembrandt and Hals.
Nevertheless, we know very little about this artist. It is known that he was born in Delft into the family of an art dealer. In 1653 he joined the painting guild of St. Luke, where he was elected dean several times. In all likelihood, Vermeer lived all his life in Delft; only his one trip to The Hague in 1672 is known, where he acted as an expert in the purchase of Italian paintings.
Apparently, Vermeer was a wealthy man. He owned several houses and also had a business selling paintings, which constituted the artist’s main income. He painted “for himself.” The artist painted no more than forty paintings (it is known that he worked very slowly).
The most information about the personality of the artist himself, perhaps, can be gleaned directly from his paintings. Early works Vermeer have a clear focus on art Italian Renaissance. But he tries to delve deeper into the essence of Italian art and pays attention to the psychological side of the plot in the film. He reaches creative maturity early. After his twenty-fifth birthday, the artist finally preferred the everyday genre of painting.
The artist delves into what is opening before his eyes human life. The images in his works are often very similar and seem to move from painting to painting. Their images have a special self-absorption and inner independence.
Vermeer knew how to revive every detail of the interior, turning it from a silent object into a source of feelings and thoughts. He endowed these details with a special light, making them sparkle and shimmer, evoking a feeling of unusualness. A special type of interior created by Vermeer is everyday scenes with two or three figures. At the same time, he achieves a feeling of harmony. poise. He likes joyful and calm human existence. He deliberately simplifies the plot, sits his characters in calm, thoughtful poses. It is as if he stops time to give himself the opportunity to recognize and experience the elusive harmony of the world.
Unfortunately, Vermeer created only two landscapes, depicting his native Delft, his native streets.
And yet Vermeer is a recognized master of the everyday genre. In his intimate scenes, the action always takes place in a room where soft light falls through a window, causing a string of pearls, a blond curl of hair or the head of a nail in the back of a chair to sparkle. Vermeer's favorite colors were sky blue, lemon yellow and white.
Titled and prestigious during his lifetime, but so quickly forgotten, despite the rich heritage he left behind, the Dutch artist Jan Vermeer van Delft, 1632–1675 also known as Vermeer of Delft. He is perhaps worthy of first place among the painters of the Golden Age of Dutch art. 34 of his reliably authentic works have survived to this day, and the authorship of another five remains in question.
A master of everyday and genre painting, he was one of the representatives of the so-called Delft school and proudly bore the name of the Delft Sphinx. Vermeer is portraits or images of groups of people in carefully executed interiors. In addition to them, mentions of three painted landscapes have been preserved hometown artist, only two of which have survived to this day - “View of Delft” (Gezicht op Delft, 1661) and “Little Street” (Het straatje, 1657‒1658).
Unfortunately, there is very little information left about the fate of the brilliant painter. There are suggestions that he was born into a fairly wealthy family of a merchant entrepreneur, mainly engaged in the sale of silk products. Ian was the second oldest child and only son of his parents.
Concerning art education Vermeer, all that is known for certain is that in 1653 he was accepted to study at the Guild of St. Luke, which he subsequently headed more than once, becoming its dean over and over again. But the name of his mentor is hidden in a veil of secrecy. It is assumed that it could be Leonart Bramer, Gerard ter Borch or Carel Fabritius, although there is no confirmation or refutation of this. In addition, the Dutch master of genre painting had a huge influence on the future great artist. Vermeer himself played an important role in the creative development of a huge number of artists, including Frank Weston Benson and many contemporary artists.
Vermeer's early works are focused on the art of the Italian Renaissance. However, it is worth noting that his presentation was somewhat different from classical methods artistic system Renaissance. The Sphinx of Delft passed every story through the prism of personal perception. He tended to add elements of Romanism and Caravaggism to his paintings.
In 1653, Vermeer married Katharina Bolnes. In total, their family had 15 children, four of whom died in childhood.
According to one version, the artist’s most famous painting, (Het meisje met de parel, 1665), depicts his daughter Maria. However, this assumption is not supported by facts, and the age of the girl - at the time of painting she was no more than 12 years old - casts doubt on its reliability. But the mystery of the model’s name in no way spoils the masterpiece, but, on the contrary, gives it some even greater attractiveness and mysticism. A huge number of assumptions have been built around this painting, undoubtedly the most significant and one that brought Vermeer modern world fame.
It should also be noted that the artist is inclined to experiment. He enjoyed playing with perspective, painting unusual angles, and placing mirrors in paintings, thereby expanding the space. Often the interior becomes the main character of the canvas along with the people, it is so detailed and thoughtfully written. This tendency of the artist is clearly visible in the painting “A Glass of Wine” (Het glas wijn, 1660).
It's amazing how carefully the furnishings are made. Main role What plays here is... a chair placed right in the center of the picture. It is on him that the eye immediately falls. And then he moves on to the stained glass window, the elements of which are almost brighter than all other objects in the room, including the outfits of a man and a woman, drinking wine. The painting located on the wall directly behind the people deserves special attention. The viewer may get the impression that he sees himself in this dark portrait.
Another painting - “The Milkmaid” (Het melkmeisje, 1658–1661) - went down in the history of Dutch painting due to its almost absurd simplicity and vividness of an ordinary plot.
Vermeer immortalized the daily routine duties of one of the maids. The girl concentratedly performs her usual action - pours milk into a bowl. The light from the window falls on her face, expressing calm and slight fatigue. In addition to these elements, the picture contains only two baskets hanging on the wall and a simply set table. This work of art attracts the eye and delights with its simplicity and genius.
In fact, painting was hardly Vermeer's main occupation. In a year he could create no more than two or three paintings. The master created, enjoying the process, trying to capture not a momentary impulse, but the most thoughtful and generalized portrait of time. Vermeer was disgusted by expression and pathos; he strives to emphasize the everyday life and simplicity of life.
Already during his lifetime, the artist’s paintings sold well. Their prices were impressively high for that time. They were especially popular among patrons of the arts. But they were not the only source of financial wealth. Painting was a pleasant pastime, a hobby. The main income came from helping his mother manage the tavern, which she inherited, as well as from working as the dean of the Guild of St. Luke. Vermeer held this post for a long time, which speaks of his undeniable authority among artists and his demand as a specialist in the field of art.
However, towards the end of his life, the artist’s economic situation worsened significantly due to the outbreak of war with France. The family had to go into debt. Perhaps this is why the genius of the Golden Age of Dutch art was forgotten for a long time. His name appeared again on the horizon of world painting only two centuries later. He left behind a magnificent legacy, which we still admire today as ordinary people, and true art connoisseurs.
