Vermeer

I don't think Vermeer is at all underestimated. He's generally reckoned among the very greatest artists. I saw the cinema feed of the exhibition. Slightly disappointing I thought. No sign of 'The Art of Painting' which is one of the absolute best. It's in Vienna and once belonged to Hitler. There were lots of things that could have been examined but were glossed over in favour of a good bit of repetitive stuff. David Hockney is very good on Vermeer's use of optical devices. It was touched on but it wasn't explained how it was manifest in the pictures.

My feeling was that the Girl With A Flute was a Vermeer. The Girl Seated At The Virginals had struck me as having something wrong before they told us there was some doubt about it. I'm sure that he used the camera obscura a lot in his work. Many of his paintings have a photographic quality that you see in some of Canaletto's paintings. What a fascinating programme though!

Joseann - oh for a Tardis !

I'm not sure Esmay. The comment I took from the expert was that in the absence of evidence of any other artist at that time producing paintings like his, it could only be a Vermeer.

You're right. It is unusual for us to know so little about the artist himself. No diaries. No letters.

Joseann - do you think that Girl With A Flute is a Vermeer ?

I think that it's the same model as Girl In A Red Hat mainly because of his treatment of her mouth .
It's like Girl With A Pearl Earring .
And the sitter plainly likes crazy hats !

It's highly unusual for a woman not to be depicted in profile and looking shy or demure .

I don't think that Girl Seated At The Virginals is a Vermeer .
It lacks a true sense of dimension and the Girl is almost like a Victorian !

If it is a Vermeer - it's his weakest painting .

Without watching again I can't remember which paintings came from the same roll of linen .
To me , that doesn't prove anything .
He probably had students .

It's a shame that so little documentation about him has survived .

Great programme, and so interesting with the "Is it a Vermeer, is it not a Vermeer?" wranglings.

I watched Close to Vermeer on the beeb last night .

I think that he's probably one of my favourite artists .

I think it's because his artwork is subtle and almost like little snapshots into simple domestic scenes .

He must have loved and appreciated women whether they were obviously rich playing an instrument or poor working as servants .

Would I like one in the house ?

Yes please !

I enjoyed the Vermeer programme on BBC4 last night. At least that channel hasn't been dumbed down with cake shows and the like.

Ive always been interested in the history of costume and social life and the works of the Dutch masters tell us so much about that era. The wealthy middle classes had a standard of living which was far above anything in this country at the time. Dutch Calvinism forbade religious painting in churches and so other genres such as portraiture, peasant and occupational scenes and still life grew in popularity. Portrait painting thrived in the Netherlands in the 17th century, as there was a large mercantile class who were far more ready to commission portraits than their equivalents in other countries. These paintings I like best are not the posed formal portraits but those of housewives going about their business, They tell us so much about how people lived.

Joseann

Yes, tonight.
I'm fascinated as to who lends the exhibition these masterpieces. I appreciate some of the works can't travel to the exhibition due to their fragile condition, like the one in BuckinghamPalace, but there are also one or two significant paintings missing because apparently some bolshy museums wouldn't part with them. Interestingly, both in Austria and Germany?

Paintings and other works of art are at their most vulnerable when being moved . It’s not surprising galleries are reluctant to lend them although sometimes will do so on a mutual basis as was offered in the programme last night.
Factor in the astronomical costs of insurance and it becomes clearer why sadly, we are unlikely to ever see a comprehensive retrospective of any great artist again, even in an artist’s home country.
And that is without even taking into account the many works of art which will disappear permanently from public view having even bought by Arab sheikhs, Russian oligarchs or Chinese billionaires for their private collections

pascal30

BBC 4 tonight.. Tuesday at 9pm a documentary about the Vermeer Exhibition,, called Close to Me

Close to Vermeer, actually
Hope the link works

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001mnbj

Pascal30 I have recorded it to watch later. The View of Delft is my favourite painting by Vermeer (not in the rain!) It was in the first room at the exhibition, just with The Little Street and it was thrilling to see both of them.

BBC 4 tonight.. Tuesday at 9pm a documentary about the Vermeer Exhibition,, called Close to Me

Sky Arts 10 15 tonight "The World in a Painting"Vermeers Officer and Laughing Girl.

It is on in June at The Odyssey Cinema in St Albans - see their website.
Saw it recently. Very good film

Yes, tonight.
I'm fascinated as to who lends the exhibition these masterpieces. I appreciate some of the works can't travel to the exhibition due to their fragile condition, like the one in BuckinghamPalace, but there are also one or two significant paintings missing because apparently some bolshy museums wouldn't part with them. Interestingly, both in Austria and Germany?

Have just saved on my list to watch this evening 9oc BBC4.

I couldn't get tickets either. This is a good second best though!

www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/johannes-vermeer?ss=

I love Dutch painters, especially Vermeer. I studied them at infant school - honestly! - in the 1940s. We all loved them.

thanks for this post, really interesting

Programme on setting up the Vermeer exhibition this Wednesday 9pm BBC 4

I saw that film, limited viewings at local theatre. Terrific commentary and commentator often shut up and let you just look at the paintings. No.irritating background music either.

Apologies - it is Delft - Amsterdam was wherer we saw it.

Have a lovely time!

Yes it is Delft. He lived in Delft. I would have loved to have seen the exhibition. But I am disabled and it’s a terribly difficult going anywhere.

Did you read/see the film The Pearl Earring?