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17th Century Painter of Light

© Tricia Dake

Flemish Artist Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) lived only to the age of 43, yet his art lives on in homage to his creative brilliance. Now considered second only to Rembrandt among the Dutch masters, it is commonly accepted that he is the only painter since Jan van Eyck to see and use light so skillfully in his paintings. He is considered the true painter of light among the masters.

Classed by art historians as both a realist and a naturalist painter, Vermeer's rectangular compositions allow us to appreciate backgrounds in which scuff marks, stains, or a nail stuck into a wall appear perfectly balanced. His use of light creates a sense of atmospheric luminescence opening our eyes to the fresh vitality of the everyday world and bringing it into the hazy focus of light obscured by dust floating in air. This tangible light softens his scenes while bringing them clarity in a very realistic and natural way.

Vermeer used for his technique a scientific device known as the "camera obscura." This invention consisted of mirrors and an adjustable lens placed within a small dark box. Through a pinhole-sized opening in the box, an image or perhaps a scene could be reflected onto a viewing screen or upon a wall, and then subsequently copied onto paper or canvas. After completing an initial drawing, Vermeer then used his own unique style of painting. While the paint seems to be applied smoothly, it is in fact often placed in dabs to enhance the radiant affect so pronounced in his paintings.

Vermeer's work exhibits an unusual serenity. In his paintings we see ordinary women going about everyday tasks such as pouring milk into a pitcher, holding a balance, or writing a letter. He brought quiet honor to women through his colorfully vibrant genre scenes. Even the most ordinary women seem imbued with gentle grace and beauty as they set about their routine activities. Each scene appears as a moment in time as though caught by a modern camera.

Only the most basic information is known about the artist's life. He was born the son of Reyneir Vermeer, a silk weaver in the city of Delft, and it is believed that he trained as an artist in the city of his birth. In 1653 he was registered as a master painter and married Catharina Bolnes. Together they produced eleven children. Nearly ten years later he was elected as governor of the St. Lukes Guild of Artists. Because of the politics of the day, it was difficult for an artist to earn a living. Vermeer tried to supplement his income by becoming an art dealer but this turned out to be an unsuccessful enterprise for him. When Vermeer died twenty-two years after his marriage, he left his wife and children seriously in debt which caused Catharina to petition for bankruptcy and sell her husband's paintings in an attempt to pay their creditors.

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