Vermeer Delft Jan works. Priceless Dutchman. Life and painting

It is one of the largest paintings by the artist and one of his two landscapes.

The picture is very clearly divided horizontally into four parts: embankment, water, buildings, sky. Moreover, for each part Vermeer used a special technique. For example, to convey the shine of water, he used the technique of pointillism, and to depict stone, uneven granules of paint were mixed.

Vermeer showed the city from the southeast of the Schee River canal. The time of action is morning, the sun is in the east, the clock on the Schiedam Gate shows 7 o'clock. The painting depicts about 15 people.

Proust wrote about this painting by Vermeer, which he saw in the Hague Museum on October 18, 1902, to his friend art critic J.-L. Vaudois: “Ever since I saw the View of Delft in The Hague, I realized that I had seen the most beautiful picture in the world" (letter dated May 2, 1921). In the novel The Captive, the hero of In Search of Lost Time, Bergotte, dies at an exhibition while admiring yellow wall in this picture.

In 1696, the subsequently famous veduta was sold for only 200 guilders. In 1822, Mauritshuis bought it for 2,900 guilders.

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Excerpt characterizing the View of Delft

As soon as Pierre laid his head on the pillow, he felt that he was falling asleep; but suddenly, with the clarity of almost reality, a boom, boom, boom of shots was heard, groans, screams, the splashing of shells were heard, the smell of blood and gunpowder, and a feeling of horror, the fear of death, overwhelmed him. He opened his eyes in fear and raised his head from under his overcoat. Everything was quiet in the yard. Only at the gate, talking to the janitor and splashing through the mud, was some orderly walking. Above Pierre's head, under the dark underside of the plank canopy, doves fluttered from the movement he made while rising. Throughout the yard there was a peaceful, joyful for Pierre at that moment, strong smell of an inn, the smell of hay, manure and tar. Between two black canopies a clear starry sky was visible.
“Thank God this isn’t happening anymore,” thought Pierre, covering his head again. - Oh, how terrible fear is and how shamefully I surrendered to it! And they... they were firm and calm all the time, until the end... - he thought. In Pierre's concept, they were soldiers - those who were at the battery, and those who fed him, and those who prayed to the icon. They - these strange ones, hitherto unknown to him, were clearly and sharply separated in his thoughts from all other people.
“To be a soldier, just a soldier! - thought Pierre, falling asleep. - Login to this common life with their whole being, to become imbued with what makes them so. But how to throw off all this unnecessary, devilish, all the burden of this outer man? At one time I could have been this. I could run away from my father as much as I wanted. Even after the duel with Dolokhov, I could have been sent as a soldier.” And in Pierre’s imagination flashed a dinner at a club, at which he called Dolokhov, and a benefactor in Torzhok. And now Pierre is presented with a ceremonial dining box. This lodge takes place in the English Club. And someone familiar, close, dear, sits at the end of the table. Yes it is! This is a benefactor. “But he died? - thought Pierre. - Yes, he died; but I didn't know he was alive. And how sorry I am that he died, and how glad I am that he is alive again!” On one side of the table sat Anatole, Dolokhov, Nesvitsky, Denisov and others like him (the category of these people was as clearly defined in Pierre’s soul in the dream as the category of those people whom he called them), and these people, Anatole, Dolokhov they shouted and sang loudly; but from behind their shout the voice of the benefactor could be heard, speaking incessantly, and the sound of his words was as significant and continuous as the roar of the battlefield, but it was pleasant and comforting. Pierre did not understand what the benefactor was saying, but he knew (the category of thoughts was just as clear in the dream) that the benefactor was talking about goodness, about the possibility of being what they were. And they surrounded the benefactor on all sides, with their simple, kind, firm faces. But although they were kind, they did not look at Pierre, did not know him. Pierre wanted to attract their attention and say. He stood up, but at the same moment his legs became cold and exposed.

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.

Deep poetic feeling, impeccable taste, subtle colorism determine the work of the most outstanding of masters genre painting, third after Hals and Rembrandt, the great Dutch painter - Jan Wermeer of Delft (1632-1675). Possessing amazing with a keen eye, filigree technique, he achieved poetry, integrity and beauty figurative solution, paying great attention to the transmission 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 financial situation her daughter will prove fragile. Her own family life was unsuccessful, her husband was violent, quarrelsome character, the matter ended in divorce in 1649. Perhaps Maria Thins was trying to protect her youngest daughter from such a 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 in 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 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. At closed door 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 painted by different 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

Wermeer probably wrote little for the art market: for the most part he created his works for patrons and patrons of the arts 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 owner of the printing house Jacob Dissius, who lived nearby (on the same Marktfeld square) in own home. 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 most early works 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 the life of the great Dutchman financial position 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 ( last resort, 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, amounting to reliable source income of the Wermer family. 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 living with Vermeer were perhaps the most happy times in 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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In 2003, the wonderful film “Girl with a Pearl Earring” was released. This is a touching love story between a maid (Scarlett Johansson) and the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (Koeleen Firth).

The screenwriter boldly adds events and emotions to the plot, without adhering to autobiographical information. Why?

Yes, because they simply don’t exist!

Johannes Vermeer is called the "Sphinx of Delft." Since we will never know the story of his life in detail. And only paintings allow us to glean at least some information.

What is known about Vermeer

It is known that the artist was born in the city of Delft (South Holland) on December 31, 1632. His parents were enterprising people, they ran an inn and sold paintings.

In 1653, Jan Vermeer, a born Protestant, converted to Catholicism in order to marry Katharina Bolnes.

With Katarina they gave birth to 15 children. Even for the 17th century this was a lot. The Dutch already knew methods of contraception. On average, families had 4-6 children. So the Vermeers were an exception.

In 1675 he dies of a heart attack. At the age of 43 years.

Because of economic crisis In recent years, the large Vermeer family has been forced to take out loans from banks. After the artist's death, his wife refused the inheritance in favor of creditors.

Only the painting “The Painter’s Workshop,” which Vermeer loved so much, Katharina kept for herself by hook or by crook.

That's all the known biographical information about the great artist.

Vermeer's artistic heritage is also meager. Only 35 paintings have survived to this day. For two reasons.

For a long time, Vermeer's works were not appreciated. At the end of the 19th century, his famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring” was bought for 2.5 guilders (in our time - about 100 rubles)! Ridiculously little.

The second reason: Vermeer worked for a very long time on each painting. For a year and even more (many of them are no more than 50x50 cm in size).

But even this number of works was enough for Vermeer to be recognized as one of the greatest masters of all times. On a par with , . Why?

What's unusual about Vermeer

In terms of plot, Vermeer created paintings that were quite typical for his time. Carefully designed interior. One, two or three figures are wealthy townspeople. Often his heroines read or write letters.

This is called the everyday genre. Many artists worked in this genre in 17th century Holland. At first glance, Vermeer did not stand out in any way.

Sometimes the plots different artists were very similar. For example, “Woman with Scales” by Vermeer.

And this is “Woman with Scales” by another Dutch artist Pieter de Hooch, who also specialized in the everyday genre.

What is the difference? It seems that Hoch’s picture is more colorful and cheerful. But if you look closely, it looks more like a colorized photograph.

Vermeer is more subtle with light and color. He paints the lighting so meticulously that his painting is imbued with supernatural verisimilitude.

The light falls unevenly. From a small window near the ceiling. Placing subtle accents. By saturating some objects with color and highlighting others. There is lyricism and even some mystery. And somehow it’s already difficult to call it a “everyday” genre. And for some reason the woman’s scales are empty...

Or here are two more works for comparison. Again the same plot. The girl reads the letter. This is the work of another contemporary of Vermeer, Gerard Terborch.

Maximum photographic ability. It’s amazing how skillfully the artist painted the fabric of the dress.

But for comparison, “Girl with a Letter” by Vermeer.

And again poeticization. I want to think about it again. After all, this is a whole tragic story. Here is a girl holding a letter in her hands, illuminated by light, as if by some kind of hope.

The meek, beautiful heroine glances impatiently across the page. But downcast eyes tell us about the collapse of all aspirations.

But main character there is light here again. Watch the fragment.

Light pours softly through the window. But he behaves unusually. Breaking into small shimmering grains. It’s as if the girl’s hair, the sleeves of the dress, the curtain were covered with dew...

What can we say about Vermeer's character by analyzing his paintings? Perhaps he was a good-natured, gentle person. Perhaps modest and cautious... But not everything is so simple.

He wasn't afraid to use bright colors. Sometimes using the purest ultramarine and kraplak. Becoming an example in the boldness of color solutions for many artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Take his famous one, for example.

Her apron and towel on the table are painted in pure ultramarine. The woman is depicted against the background of an almost white wall, which especially boldly emphasizes the rich color.

But Vermeer painted this heroine’s hat with pure speckled paint.

Girl with a pearl earring

Of course, it is impossible not to mention the famous masterpiece Vermeer. “To the girl with a pearl earring.”

Vermeer wrote the usual “troni” for those times. This is a chest-to-chest image of a person in unusual clothing or with unusual objects.

Townspeople and wealthy peasants liked to hang paintings-troni, as well as paintings with everyday scenes, in their homes.

Vermeer's contemporary, Gerard Dou, especially specialized in troni. He painted a lot of girls and grandmothers looking out of the windows of Dutch houses.

That is, these are not portraits. Anonymous models or members of the artist's household posed for the throne. Who dressed up a girl or guy in an unusual outfit. In the case of Vermeer, this is an eastern block. Gerard Doe placed a parrot on his model's finger. Also unusual.

Since they posed anonymously for these works, only for the painting to be sold completely unknown people, no one ever wrote down their names.

In the above-mentioned film, a version is put forward that this is Vermeer’s pretty maid.

But given the mores of Dutch society in the 17th century, such a version is unlikely. Then masters and servants kept very distant from each other. Status differences were emphasized as much as possible. And it’s hard to imagine that a maid would be called to pose for an artist.

After all, Vermeer had many household members. Therefore, it is more willing to believe in the version about his eldest daughter Maria. Who was 13 years old at that time. It is quite possible that it was she who posed for her father.

By the way, Vermeer painted another daughter, the youngest. Almost in the same spread and with the same earring.

She, of course, is not as pretty as the eldest - a disproportionately large head, far-set eyes.

But Vermeer obviously loved the girl. Without embellishing it, but also writing it with special tenderness. Emphasizing the mischief in her eyes.

Vermeer ordinary. Pinhole camera

The painter masterfully mastered perspective and the ability to “expose” light in his paintings. Therefore, many believe that Vermeer used a camera obscura.

You may notice that sometimes in his paintings objects or faces are slightly out of focus. This effect occurs precisely when using a pinhole camera.

This is especially noticeable in the painting “Girl Writing a Letter.” Her face seems to be covered with a haze. Most likely, it just didn't come into focus.

In 2007, Tim Jenison, an engineer and entrepreneur from Texas, decided not to guess, but to prove it experimentally.

Using a camera obscura, the same mirrors and paints as Vermeer, he created a copy of the master's painting, The Music Lesson.

Surprisingly, he had never drawn before this experiment. This is what he did.

After this work, Jenison commented: he is 95% sure that Vermeer used a camera obscura. However, he admitted that creating such a thing is hard work. It took him 5 years to prepare. And he painted the picture itself for 100 days, almost around the clock.

And here, for comparison, is “The Music Lesson” by Vermeer himself. Decide for yourself whether Jenison managed to get closer to the genius of the master.

In my opinion, it was successful. But this does not detract from the artist’s merits. The camera obscura was used by many artists. Especially in Holland. Just remember the photographic paintings of his 15th-century compatriot Jan Van Eyck.

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The artist Jan Vermeer is one of the so-called Golden Age of Dutch fine art. He is considered consummate master genre portrait 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 At that time, John Vermeer's father had, in addition to his 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, which has not found documentary evidence, that taking the 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 by no means 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”). It also has an influence Dutch master genre painting Pieter de Hooch. His style was continued and developed in Vermeer's paintings. Most meaningful picture of this period can be called the large-figure canvas “At the Pimp”. 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. The head is turned around with a defenseless look, the pearl-blue colors of the scarf against a dark background seem to glow. 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 daughter artist.

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.

Jan Vermeer is a talented Dutch artist, whose life, like his work, is surrounded by speculation and assumptions. The fact is that during Vermeer’s life, as well as for some time after his death, the master’s works did not arouse obvious interest, although they were immediately sold out. Many paintings were even lost. However, after some time, the attention of art critics was attracted by the creations of a forgotten genius, and now the name of Jan Vermeer is on a par with the names of painting geniuses.

Childhood and youth

Riddles appear directly from the beginning of the biography of John Vermeer of Delft. The artist received his last nickname from the name of the place of his supposed birth - the city of Delft. It is not known for certain where Vermeer came from (the artist was born on October 31, 1632), but information has been preserved that little Jan’s parents baptized him in Delft. The master loved this city, one of his paintings is called “View of Delft”. On the canvas, the artist managed to convey the beauty and tranquility of this place.

The father of the future artist owned his own inn and tavern, and also worked as a master of silk weaving. In addition, this man knew a lot about works of art and even resold some of them to merchants and collectors. Perhaps that is why Jan Vermeer at some point became interested in painting.

It is known that in 1653 the young man was accepted into the art guild of St. Luke. However, according to the conditions of membership in this society, before joining the guild, the artist had to study for six years with an experienced mentor. Who became such for Jan Vermeer is also not known.

Versions vary: according to one of them, Vermeer “trained his hand” under the leadership of Leonart Bramer, while according to another, the young man’s teacher was more famous painter Gerard Terborch. Be that as it may, Vermeer was close friends with both masters.

Another well-founded assumption is the version that Carel Fabritius became Jan Vermeer’s teacher and mentor. There is information that this artist arrived in the city of Delft just at the time when young painter presumably undergoing training. Also, the style of Vermeer's paintings (especially the early ones) was influenced by the work of Pieter de Hooch, whose work Jan liked.

Painting

When Jan's father died, young man I had to take care of the affairs of the tavern, which remained the family’s main source of income. Although Vermeer by that time already held an honorary position in the art guild of St. Luke (and in fact led it), this brought practically no income.

At the same time, the artist’s paintings were loved by art connoisseurs and quickly found buyers. Soon Vermeer found permanent patrons and philanthropists: Hendrik van Buyten, a local baker, and Jacob Dissius, the owner of a printing workshop.

According to various information, the collections of these people contained more than two dozen works by the artist. However, it remains unclear whether Vermeer wrote on commissioned themes, or simply granted van Buyten and Dissius the right to be the first to acquire new creations.

It is noteworthy that Jan Vermeer was famous not only as talented artist, but also as an expert and connoisseur of art. People turned to him to find out or confirm the authenticity of certain paintings. However, the artist did not pass on his own talent to anyone - historians and art critics agree on the version that Vermeer never had students.

A distinctive feature of the works of Jan Vermeer are considered to be carefully painted interiors and details of city landscapes. And here human images the artist preferred to paint only in portraits; if a human figure appeared in a landscape, it was, as a rule, quite insignificant.

One of bright examples The painting “The Artist’s Workshop,” painted by the master in 1666, is considered to be “interior” painting. This late work, in which Vermeer managed to convey the atmosphere of the master’s workplace. It is believed that Jan Vermeer painted the image of the artist from himself. Also examples of a perfectly conveyed interior atmosphere are the paintings “Girl Reading a Letter at the Window” and “The Milkmaid”.

In addition, Vermeer was a master of the so-called “love” painting. This feeling became the main motive of many of the artist’s paintings. Simple everyday scenes perfectly convey the peace and harmony of the characters and the setting. His wife often became a model and muse for Jan Vermeer; an example of this is the painting “The Officer and the Laughing Girl.”

The artist also painted his children: presumably the painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” is a portrait of the artist’s daughter. Also, the work entitled “Portrait of a Young Girl” is considered to be another image of Vermeer’s daughter. It is noteworthy that both portraits (also solely based on the guesses of modern scientists) were painted by the artist using a camera obscura.

Personal life

The family life of Jan Vermeer was happy. In 1653, the artist married a girl named Katharina Bolnes. The situation was complicated only by the bride’s mother’s rejection of her daughter’s beloved. The fact is that Katarina’s family adhered to Catholicism, while Vermeer was a Protestant.

But soon, seeing the attitude of Jan Vermeer towards his daughter, the woman gave in and agreed to the wedding. However, until the end of her life, Maria Bolnes, Vermeer’s mother-in-law, never came to terms with her daughter’s choice, considering Jan to be too soft and an unbusinesslike person. Katarina gave her husband 15 children. Unfortunately, four died in infancy.

Death

The last years of Jan Vermeer's life were darkened by poverty. The artist, who until then did not know material problems, faced the need to take out loans, ask for loans and make ends meet. This immediately affected his morale: the master began to get sick, and Vermeer’s health suffered greatly. There is also a version that Jan Vermeer’s discord with his beloved wife also played a significant role, but there is no confirmation of these assumptions.

There is still debate about the reasons for the artist’s death: the exact diagnosis or circumstances of his departure could not be ascertained. Presumably, Jan Vermeer passed away due to severe nervous exhaustion, which completely undermined the painter’s health. This happened on December 15, 1675. The artist was only 43 years old. Vermeer rests in the family crypt in his native Delft.

20 years after the death of Jan Vermeer, in 1696, an auction was held at which 21 works by the artist were put up. Some of them were lost over time, and now scientists and art historians talk about 16 recognized paintings by Vermeer. Another 5 paintings are still the subject of controversy and are not officially recognized as the work of the master.

Forgers took advantage of this situation with pleasure, imitating the work of John Vermeer. The most famous “copycat” is Han van Meegeren, who made his name on forgeries.

Vermeer's works inspired others talented people. Thus, a number of documentaries and feature films, the opera Letters to Vermeer by composer Louis Andriessen, as well as the novel Girl with a Pearl Earring, later filmed by director Peter Webber. This film, which tells about the life of Jan Vermeer, starred,.

Paintings

• Around 1653-1654 - “Diana with her companions”
• Around 1654-1656 - “Christ in the house of Martha and Mary”
• 1656 - "Procuress"
• Circa 1656-1657 - "Sleeping Girl"
• Circa 1657-1659 - "Girl reading a letter at the window"
• Circa 1657 - "The Officer and the Laughing Girl"
• Circa 1660 - "The Milkmaid"
• Circa 1663-1664 - "Woman holding scales"
• Circa 1665-1667 - "Girl with a Pearl Earring"
• 1668 - "Astronomer"