5 Things You Should Know About Johannes Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675) was a Dutch Golden Age painter during the 17th-century Baroque period. He is internationally revered as one of the greatest painters of this period despite being relatively unknown during his lifetime.

Vermeer’s artwork primarily consisted of highly detailed, almost photorealistic imagery involving everyday life’s domestic scenes. Many of these paintings are believed to have been painted in Vermeer’s own home as various elements re-appear throughout much of his work.  

Much of his life and career is shrouded in mystery as little detail surrounding the facts about his life has ever emerged. This lack of detail has only added to the legend of the Dutch Vermeer artist, whose great art work speaks for itself.

1. He Was A Self-Taught Artist

Due to the scarcity of information surrounding the biography of Vermeer’s life, nobody truly knows where he studied as an artist, who he trained under, or if he even studied at all. There is no record of these matters; this has led many to believe that Vermeer was self-taught.

However, it is clear within his artwork that Vermeer was heavily inspired and influenced by his fellow painters of the time and some of the old masters like Leonardo Da Vinci. His understanding of light and natural color rivals any other artist of the period, which is more impressive if he was indeed self-trained.

Over his career, Vermeer became a master of the Baroque principles. This included the complex use of dynamic brushstrokes and curved mirrors and camera obscura to achieve a sense of embellished perspectives and an increased degree of realism.

2. He Loved the Color Ultramarine

The artist is most famous for the use of great color present in many Vermeer paintings. In particular, the excessively extravagant and costly pigment known as lapis lazuli appears throughout his art, even from the beginning of his career.

Lapis lazuli, or Ultramarine as it is more commonly known, is an intensely deep-blue color that derives from a precious stone found in the middle-east region. It was highly sought after throughout Europe due to its intense color and rarity.

The color became necessary for many artists of the Baroque period, especially concerning the portrayal of holy figures such as the Virgin Mary. In Vermeer’s case, the color appeared throughout and was undoubtedly one of his favorite colors. As a result, many of his most famous pieces contain it, becoming synonymous with the Johannes Vermeer famous artworks.

3. He Enjoyed Little Success in His Lifetime  

Like many of the greatest artists throughout history, Vermeer didn’t see any significant success or recognition until after his death. He didn’t achieve any fame or financial success and wasn’t even included in the talks amongst the great Dutch artists until more than two centuries after his passing.

Perhaps one reason for this was that Vermeer remained in the small city of Delft for the entirety of his life. Other contributing factors were the plagues and wars prevalent throughout society at the time, meaning that, in the end, art itself took somewhat of a backseat to more pressing matters.

Whatever the reasons, Johannes Vermeer is another perfect example of a man ahead of his time. Throughout art, it is a common theme that recognition on a mass scale doesn’t come until decades after the artist has died. It is almost as if it takes society years to catch up to the artist’s mind and understand the greatness before their eyes.

4. He Only Produced 36 Paintings in His Career

One fact known for sure about Vermeer is that he was a methodically slow painter. In over twenty years of painting, he is only credited with producing thirty-six images. This number is heavily disputed, however, due to several different factors.

Whatever the truth is, it cannot be denied that this is a low output by comparative standards. For example, Vincent Van Gogh is said to have produced over nine hundred paintings in just over ten years. At the same time, fellow Dutch painter Rembrandt is said to have made over seven hundred artworks throughout his career.

It could be argued in Vermeer’s favor that his paintings are more detailed than most artists and followed the Caravaggists theme of containing paintings-within-paintings. But, if nothing else, it can be said that it is quality over quantity when it comes to Vermeer.

5. He Painted One of the Most Famous Paintings of All Time

For an artist who was relatively unknown for centuries, Vermeer would go on to have one of the most famous and easily identifiable paintings in the world. “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” as it is most widely known. However, it has had many other titles over its lifespan and shares many similarities with that of Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” portrait.

The Girl with a Pearl Earring – Johannes Vermeer

References to the painting have appeared in several poems, novellas, books, and plays over the years. There was even a film made in 2003 dedicated to the painting, which shared the same title as the painting and starred Scarlett Johansson alongside Sean Bean.

It is by far Vermeer’s most iconic and famous artwork. Its technique and meaning have been studied and examined extensively, like all great paintings. It currently resides in the Hague museum in the Netherlands and is worth an estimated thirty million dollars. However, the museum has stated that they will never sell it and consider it priceless.

Conclusion

For Vermeer, the legacy he left behind is a fitting tribute to his skill as a painter and his devotion to painting. He inspired many of the artists who came after him, and his fantastic yet modest collection of work is worth checking out, as is learning more about the artist. So, check out Johannes Vermeer artworks and learn about Vermeer artist.