Jan Vermeer was a Dutch Baroque painter who lived in the ‘Golden Age of Dutch Painting’ during the 17th century. He specialized in domestic interior scenes that depicted middle-class life. Born in Delft in 1632, he spent his entire life there until his death at the age of 43. Vermeer’s father was a silk weaver and an art dealer, which might have had an influence on his passion for painting.
Vermeer’s output was low compared to other artists, selling only to selected local dealers for most of his career. Today, only thirty-four paintings are attributed to him. The rarity of his work has made it particularly valuable and desirable in today’s art world.
Vermeer’s paintings were rich with symbolic meaning and focused on natural light sources illuminating simple portraits and household scenes. He earned a reputation as a master of color theory and atmospheric depiction, producing scientific accuracy through precision techniques such as perspective rendering and geometry composition.
Overall, Jan Vermeer remains one of the most renowned Baroque painters who ever lived. Despite having painted just over thirty paintings throughout his entire career, today they remain celebrated examples from the era for their remarkable detail-oriented style depicting everyday middle-class life at its purest form.
All Jan Vermeer Artwork on Artchive
| Artwork Name | Year | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| The Procuress | 1656 | Oil on Canvas |
| Soldier and a Laughing Girl | c.1657 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Geographer | c.1668 - c.1669 | Oil on Canvas |
| Woman Holding a Balance | c. 1664 | Oil on Canvas |
| A Woman Asleep | c.1656 - c.1657 | Oil on Canvas |
| detail in The Music Lesson | c.1662 - c.1665 | Oil on Canvas |
| Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid | c.1670 | Oil on Canvas |
| Mistress and Maid | c. 1667-68 | Oil on Canvas |
| Street in Delft | c. 1657-1658 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Concert | c. 1665-66 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Girl with the Red Hat | c.1665 - c.1667 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Guitar Player | c.1670 - c.1672 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Music Lesson | c.1662 - c.1665 | Oil on Canvas |
| Young Woman with a Water Pitcher | c. 1664-65 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Art of Painting | c. 1666-1673 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Lacemaker | c.1669 - c.1671 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Milkmaid | c. 1658-60 | Oil on Canvas |
| View of Delft | c.1660 - c.1661 | Oil on Canvas |
| Girl with a Pearl Earring | c. 1665-1666 | Oil on Canvas |
| Woman in Blue Reading a Letter | c. 1663-1664 | Oil on Canvas |
