Vermeer

VERMEER OBJECTIVE: 1. To develop reading and comprehension skills: 2. To increase vocabulary.

Time: 40 min.

Level: 100-101 I. PRE-ACTIVITY: Join the name of the painters on the left to their nationality on the right: 1. René Magritte

a) Mexican

2. Rodolfo Morales

b) Spanish-Greek

3. Kazimir Malevich

c) Mexican

4. El Greco

d) Italian

5. Caravaggio

e) Belgian

6. Goitia

f) Russian

VERMEER: Biography Johannes Vermeer of Delft, also known as Jan Vermeer or Johannes van der Meer, is now considered to be one of the great Dutch master painters. However, his work was forgotten after his death in 1675.

It was not rediscovered until the late 19th century.

Little is known about his life and only a small number of his paintings have been preserved. The only sources of information are some registers, a few official documents and comments by other artists.

The following biography attempts to give an impression of the life of this Dutch master painter.

Johannes Vermeer was born in 1632, in the city of Delft in The Netherlands. The precise date of his birth is unknown but we do know that he was baptised on the 31st of October, 1632, in the Reformed Church in Delft. His father, Reynier Vermeer, was a silk weaver and an art dealer. He married Johannes' mother, Digna, who was from Antwerp, Belgium, in 1615. Reynier Vermeer's name actually was Reynier Vos (Fox), but he used the name Van der Meer. He was probably the one who introduced the art of painting to the young Johannes. The Vermeer family bought a large house near the market square in Delft in 1641. This house, the "Mechelen", was actually an inn and Reynier Vermeer probably used the place to sell paintings. After his death in 1652, Johannes Vermeer inherited the Mechelen as well as his father's business.

Despite the fact that he was Protestant, he married a Catholic girl, named Catherina Bolnes, in April 1653. He converted to Catholicism shortly before their marriage. The couple moved in with Catherina's mother, Maria Thins, in 1672. Maria apparently played an important role in their life, for they named their first daughter after her. Maria Thins was a Jesuit and this, too, seems to have influenced Johannes and Catherina, for they called their first son Ignatius, after the patron saint of the Jesuit Order. Johannes and Catherina had fourteen children in total, three of which died before Vermeer.

Vermeer started an apprenticeship to become a painter. It is not certain where he studied and who his teacher was. In general, it is believed that he studied in Delft and that his teacher was either Carel Fabritius (1622 - 1654) or Leonaert Bramer (1596 - 1674). On 29th of December 1653, Vermeer became a member of the Saint Luke's Guilde, which was a trade association for painters.

During the Dutch Golden Age, painting was not considered an art, but a craftmanship, a way to make a living. He wasn't able to pay the admition fee right away as records of the Guilde show. In 1662 he was elected head of the Guilde and in 1663, 1670 and 1671 he was elected again.

Due to economic difficulties in the Netherlands in the late 17th century, the art dealing business went bad for Vermeer. This was one of the reasons Johannes and his family left the Mechelen in 1672, to move in with Maria Thins. When Johannes Vermeer died in 1675, he left Catherina and their children with very little money. Catherina was forced to ask the city council to take over the heritage, which not only included paintings but also great debts. The famous Dutch microscopist, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, who also lived and worked in Delft and worked for the city council, was appointed trustee for the estate in 1676. In the same year, 19 of Vermeer's paintings were bequeathed to Catherina and Maria. Catherina used some of the paintings of her late husband to pay the debts she had.

After his death, Vermeer and his work were forgotten. Nowadays, only a small number of paintings has survived. In Delft, Vermeer was a respected artist but it seems he has never sold one of his paintings. The small number of paintings of which we now know they are Vermeer's can be attributed to the fact that he was a very precise painter. His compositions are remarkable and so is his representation of space. His relatively short life and career as an artist is seen as another reason for the small Vermeer heritage. It is assumed that many of his paintings were lost after his death.

Despite the fact that we only have a small number of paintings, Vermeer is now considered to be one of the greatest Dutch painters.

II. ACTIVITY: About the painter.

Complete the following information: 1. First name: 2. Second name: 3. Year of birth: 4. Place of birth: 5. Nationality: 6. Father’s occupation: 7. Wife’s name: 8. Married in the year: 9. Total of children: 10. Vermeer was member of: 11. Dead in: 12. Dutchland is also known as: III. POST ACTIVITY.

1. ___

a)

Match the paintings to their description:

2. ___

3. ___

The girl in this painting has often been identified as one of Vermeer's daughters. The Girl with the Red Hat shows some interesting similarities with another painting by Vermeer: Girl with a Flute. The latter is not yet identified as an authentic Vermeer but is attributed to the artist. The

girl in both paintings appears to be the same model and in both paintings we can see a wooden chair with a lion's head. The way Vermeer used light (a strange angle from the right) is also similar.

Underneath the painting of the Girl with the Red Hat is another painting. The hidden painting is a portrait of a man, wearing a white handkerchief. The identity of this man in unknown. This portrait did not serve as a basis for the painting, as it is positioned 180 degrees with respect to the girl.

Location: National Gallery of Art, U.S.A. Oil on Canvas - 9" x 7" (24 x 17 cm) Year: 1665 – 1666

b)

'Girl with a Pearl Earring' is characteristic of Vermeer's later, more mature style. The girl in this work is Griet, a 16-year-old Dutch girl who becomes a maid in the house of the painter Johannes Vermeer. Her calm and perceptive manner not only helps her in her household duties, but also attracts the painter's attention. Though different in upbringing, education and social standing, they have a similar way of looking at things. Vermeer slowly draws her into the world of his paintings - the still, luminous images of solitary women in domestic settings. The girl wears a piece of cloth over her head, which is assumed to be part of a Turkish costume that was found among Vermeer's possessions after his death. Beautiful and gentle, the young girl glances innocently over her shoulder to catch the eyes of the viewer. Her pearl earring beautifully reflects the light in the room. c.1665. Oil on canvas. Mauritshuis, the Hague, Netherlands.

c)

This masterpiece has been stolen not once, but twice in the last twenty-five years. The owner, a member of Britain's Parliament, was targeted by the IRA (Irish Revolutionary Army), who broke into his estate in 1974 and took a total of nineteen paintings. It was recovered a week later, having sustained only minor damage. In 1986, the Dublin underworld stole the painting. Only after more than seven years of secret negotiations and international detective work was the painting recovered. Hopefully Vermeer's The Concert, recently stolen from the Gardner Museum in Boston, will be recovered in a similar manner. Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid exemplifies Vermeer's essential theme of revealing the universal within the domain of the commonplace. By avoiding anecdote, by not relating actions to specific situations, he attained a sense of timelessness in his work. The representation of universal truths was achieved by eliminating incidental objects and through subtle manipulation of light, colour and perspective.

The canvas presents a deceptively simple composition. The placid scene with its muted colors suggests no activity or hint of interruption. Powerful verticals and horizontals in the composition, particularly the heavy black frame of the background painting, establish a confining backdrop that contributes to the restrained mood. The composition is activated by the strong contrast between the two figures. The firm stance of the statuesque maid acts as a counterweight to the lively mistress intent on writing her letter. The maid's gravity is emphasized by her central position in the composition. The left upright of the picture frame anchors her in place while the regular folds of her clothing sustain the effect down to the floor. In contrast, the mistress inclines dynamically on her left forearm. Her compositional placement thrusts her against the compressed space on the right side of the canvas. Strong light outlines the writing arm against the shaded wall, reflecting in angular planes from the blouse that contrast abruptly with the regimented folds of the maid’s costume. The mistress is painted in precise, meticulous strokes as opposed to the broad handling of the brush used to depict the maid.

The figures, although distinct individuals, are joined by perspective. Lines from the upper and lower window frames proceed across the folded arms and lighted forehead of the maid, extending to a vanishing point in the left eye of the mistress. The viewer's eye is lead first to the maid, then on to

the mistress as the focal point of the painting. Vermeer shuns direct narrative content, instead furnishing hints and allusions in order to avoid an anecdotal presentation. The crumpled letter on the floor in the right foreground is a clue to the missive the mistress is composing. The red wax seal, rediscovered only recently during a 1974 cleaning, indicates the crumpled letter was received, rather than being a discarded draft of the letter now being composed. Since letters were prized in the 17th century, it must have been thrown aside in anger. This explains the vehement energy being devoted to the composition of the response. Another hint is provided in the large background painting, The Finding of Moses. Contemporary interpretation of this story equated it with God's ability to conciliate opposing factions. These allusions have led critics to construe Vermeer's theme as the need to achieve reconciliation, through individual effort and with faith in God's divine plan.

This spiritual reconciliation will lead to the serenity personified in the figure of the maid. c. 1670-72; Oil on panel, 72.2 x 59.7 cm; National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin

ANSWER KEY Pre activity:

1-e, 2-a/c, 3-f, 4-b, 5-d, 6-a/c

Activity: 1. Johannes.

2. Vermeer.

3. 1632.

4. Delf.

5. Dutch.

6. Silk weaver and art dealer.

7. Catherina Bolnes 8. April 1653.

9. Fourteen children.

10. Saint Luyke’s Guilde 11. 1675.

12. Netherlands.

Post 1. c) 2. b) 3. a)

activity Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid Girl with a pearl earring Girl with a red hat

SCORING 21-15

8-14

1-7

REFERENCES http://www.about-vermeer-art.com/vermeer/vermeer-oil- paintings/index.html http://www.abcgallery.com/V/vermeer/vermeer34.html http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vermeer/lady-writing.html

Adapted by Raúl García Báez