Girl with a Flute, probably 1665/1670 National Gallery of Art

Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art Oil on Canvas - 16" x 15" (41 x 38 cm) Year: 1667 - 1668

The Geographer, 1669

Vermeer

Art in the Classroom Johannes Vermeer of Delft also known as Jan Vermeer or Johannes van der Meer

• Born in 1632 in Delft in The Netherlands

• His father was a silk weaver and an art dealer

• Live in Delft all of his life • Painted only ~35 works! • Was not famous during his life

• Known for genre paintings

Johannes Vermeer

Vermeer: 'View of Delft', oil on canvas, 96,5 x 115,7 cm. Copyright Koninklijk Kabinet van Schilderijen Mauritshuis, The Hague.

THE LACEMAKER by Jan Vermeer 1632-1675

•  Genre painting •  Use of light •  Careful planning

Johannes Vermeer of Delft also known as Jan Vermeer or Johannes van der Meer

Genre paintings show scenes of everyday life •  Ordinary people engaged in common activities. •  Main character is engaged in everyday activity: - reading a letter - pouring out milk • Small acts of everyday life showing drama of the subject's life

The Milkmaid, 1658 Girl Reading a Letter Genre paintings

The Art of Painting, 1665 A Lady Writing,1665, Woman Holding a Balance,1664 National Gallery of Art

Light

-  Fills the scene -  Often enters from a window -  Often from the left side of the canvas -  Were all paintings created in a corner of the same room?

Shows how light illuminates objects

Officer and Laughing Girl

Careful planning •  Each object has meaning - Map on wall

maps were very expensive, and to own such a map = wealth and education

Girl With Pearl Earring, 1665

Rich colors: oriental turban silk garments

Dutch attained most of their wealth through merchant trade with the east.

THE LACEMAKER by Jan Vermeer 1632-1675

•  Genre painting •  Use of light •  Careful planning

Johannes Vermeer of Delft also known as Jan Vermeer or Johannes van der Meer

Genre painting Engaged in daily activity

Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance , c. 1664, National Gallery of Art

Light flows from a window, highlights her hand, sleeve, face It washes across the wall, revealing a painting In the center hangs a balance, empty but for the light itself

Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance , c. 1664, National Gallery of Art

Light

Her finger is the central point in the picture

Careful planning

Careful planning Balance point of scales

is exactly at the center of the painting

The woman’s hands, jewelry and tabletop form a pyramid

This imaginary pyramid supports the woman's hand and encloses the balance

Thick and thin paints were used to show light on different textures

The face is painted with tiny brushstrokes and finely ground paint

Paint on the sleeve changes from thin to thick, as the highlights vary from soft to intense.

The texture of wool is achieved by dragging a layer of coarse orange paint over yellow paint,leaving an irregular edge.

Johannes Vermeer, A Lady Writing, c. 1665. oil on canvas

A Lady Writing is featured in a popular children's book about Johannes Vermeer.

Chasing Vermmer by Blue Balliett

• Draw an indoors genre picture • Make light come through a window/door

What could we use for a genre picture? - Reading - Playing piano - Cooking - Talking on the phone - Working on the computer - Going to bed - Playing

The Milkmaid, 1658 The Art of Painting, 1665 Girl with the Red Hat 1665/1666

Art in the Classroom: Vermeer Activity