Rijksmuseum announces Vermeer

Amsterdam (NL) [ENA] The latest research has unearthed new sources that shed light on the painter and his personal circumstances.  As a result, we know more about his social position, his living environment and his contacts with artists and fellow citizens. Modern scanning techniques have accelerated research into Vermeer over the past decades.  A team of curators, conservators and scientists from the Rijksmuseum have been collaborating

Taco Dibbits, General Director of the Rijksmuseum, said:  ‘This exhibition offers an unprecedented opportunity to experience such a large number of Vermeer paintings come together in one place. It is an exciting prospect for the public and all Vermeer lovers, as well as scientists, conservators and art historians. We are extremely grateful to the partnering museums and organisations who have made this exhibition possible with exceptional and generous loans.’   The Exhibition Vermeer  At least 28 paintings out of Vermeer’s very small oeuvre will be loaned from museums and collections from Europe, the United States and Japan. In an extraordinary gesture the Frick Collection will lend all three of its masterpieces to the exhibition

Additional highlights include The Girl with a Pearl Earring (Mauritshuis, The Hague), The Geographer (Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main), Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid (The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin,Woman Holding a Balance (The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC), The Glass of Wine (Gemäldegalerie, Berlin), Young Woman with a Lute (Metropolitan Museum, NYC) and The Lacemaker (Louvre, Paris).  Works never before shown to the public in the Netherlands will include the newly restored Girl Reading a Letter at the Open Window from the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden.  The Rijksmuseum itself owns four masterpieces by Vermeer: The Milkmaid, The Little Street, Woman Reading a Letter and The Love Letter.   

The exhibition will be presented at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam from 10 February until 4 June 2023 and will be the only venue.  Gregor J.M. Weber, Head of Fine Arts, Rijksmuseum and co-curator of the exhibition, said: ‘Vermeer’s painting technique has always had something of a mystery.  How did he accomplish this miracle of light and colour?  With the discovery of a first sketch in black paint, we get a much better picture of his working method.’   

Johannes Vermeer  Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) lived and worked in Delft.  His work is best known for his tranquil, introverted interior scenes, his unprecedented use of bright, colorful light and his convincing illusionism.  In contrast to Rembrandt, Vermeer left a remarkably small oeuvre of 37 paintings.    Pieter Roelofs, Head of Paintings and Sculpture and co-curator of the exhibition, said: ‘The mystery of Johannes Vermeer, also known as the Sphinx of Delft, has clung to the artist for more than 150 years and has become part of his reputation.  Connecting what we now know about his personal life with his work brings us closer to Vermeer.’    Tickets  Tickets are now available for booking through the Rijksmuseum website.