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Did you know Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)had 11 children and never painted a child ? The serenity and light emanating from his paintings doesn’t show through the predominant hecking atmosphere of his home….
He painted 4 canvas a year and didn’t search for fame, unlike his contemporary compatriot genre painters DeHooch,Ter Borsch or Metsu he didn’t leave his homeland Delft for Amsterdam or The Hague or for any foreign country.
Unlike Gerrit Dou who was appointed by King Charles I of England as official painter , Vermeer never painted for any royals or officials.
His work was majorly targeting a wealthy collector named Pieter Claesz. van Ruijven who protected him and his family from the economic hurdles of a costly large family and owned 50% of his production.
Vermeer had converted to Catholicism and unlike Calvinist painters of the Dutch golden age included some religious hints and allegories in many of his portraits and genre paintings.
At auctions Vermeer’s early painting (1655) ‘Saint Praxedis’ reached $10m only in 2014 hit by doubts on its authenticity while back in 2004, a portrait of a Young Woman seated at the Virginals(1670) estimated $5.5m was hammered by Sotheby’s $29.9m making it one of the most valuable North European painting.
Most of Vermeer’s pieces sitting in museums (also owned by the English royal collection ), auctions are very rare.
Johannes Vermeer was heavily indebted when he died in 1675, his wife had to file for bankruptcy.
28 of Vermeer’s rare paintings (35 to 37total) on show at the Rijskmuseum are unfortunately accessible for only a few as the show that just started is already sold out.
A black market seems to have erupted offering tickets initially at €30 for up to €450…..
The exhibition scenography worked out by famous architect JP Wilmotte using a refined mono-coloured design will keep out of reach for many of us art lovers .
But the excellent Amsterdam Rijksmuseum website has developed a section thoroughly analysing the 28 pieces some of which sent over by NY Frick collection had never left the US.