Chapter 1
The optical magic of the camera obscura
Chapter 2
The outrageously expensive blue
Chapter 3
Everyday lives behind the glass
Chapter 4
The great vanishing act and the fakes
YOUR GOAL
Master of Vermeer and the mystery of the quiet window
Ch 3 · Everyday lives behind the glass
suaz Everyday Lives Behind Glass
A window on the left lets the daylight stream, / Painting daily chores in a quiet gleam.
suaz Unlike other Dutch artists who painted servants as lazy caricatures, Vermeer treated his milkmaid with immense respect.
BETA
suaz Arrange everyday tasks by the window to discover how Vermeer painted his quiet masterpieces.
Fun Fact
The stolen Vermeer: Vermeer's painting 'The Concert' was stolen from a Boston museum in 1990 and remains the most valuable missing artwork in the world.
Glossary
genre painting (noun)
A style of painting depicting scenes from ordinary life, especially domestic situations. Vermeer adopted this style around 1656, capturing quiet Delft interiors illuminated by a single window.
A style of painting depicting scenes from ordinary life, especially domestic situations. Vermeer adopted this style around 1656, capturing quiet Delft interiors illuminated by a single window.
Quiz
How did Vermeer's portrayal of domestic servants differ from other Dutch Golden Age painters?
Quiz
What Dutch art term refers to a painting of an exaggerated or exotic character head rather than a formal portrait?
Quiz
How many brushstrokes of white paint did Vermeer use to create the illusion of the massive pearl earring?
Quiz
In whose house did Vermeer set up his studio and paint almost all of his famous domestic scenes?
Quiz
On which side of the canvas is the window almost always located in Vermeer's quiet interior paintings?
Quiz
Who was the wealthy Delft patron who bought around 20 of Vermeer's paintings, keeping him afloat?