Johannes Vermeer

Although only 35 paintings are ascribed to Johannes Vermeer, he is still considered one of the most innovative painters in the entire history of art. His paintings (often of female figures in contemplative mood, bathed in a mellow light) are familiar to us all, yet scarcely anything is known about Vermeer himself. The official book accompanying the great Vermeer exhibition of 1996 at the Washinton's Gallery of Art has been written by leading experts on Vermeer. It includes colour illustrations of all the paintings ascribed to the artist, together with full-page reproductions of various details. Vermeer's technique is explored in depth, and new data on his use of perspective and his ideas about composition are published here for the first time. Also discussed is the iconography of his paintings. In short, this is a book which will render previous publications on Vermeer superfluous and will set the standard for all those to come.