Vermeer Paintbrush



Vermeer paint brush

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Arthur K. Wheelock
Curator of Northern Baroque Painting at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Author of Jan Vermeer, Vermeer and the Art of Painting, and others.
Alternative Title: Jan Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer, Johannes also rendered Jan, (baptized October 31, 1632, Delft, Netherlands—buried December 16, 1675, Delft), Dutch artist who created paintings that are among the most beloved and revered images in the history of art. Although only about 36 of his paintings survive, these rare works are among the greatest treasures in the world’s finest museums. Vermeer began his career in the early 1650s by painting large-scale biblical and mythological scenes, but most of his later paintings—the ones for which he is most famous—depict scenes of daily life in interior settings. These works are remarkable for their purity of light and form, qualities that convey a serene, timeless sense of dignity. Vermeer also painted cityscapes and allegorical scenes.

Why is Johannes Vermeer so famous?

Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch artist known especially for his paintings of 17th-century daily life. The 36 or so of his paintings that survive show a remarkable purity of light and form. Vermeer was not well known outside of Delft and Amsterdam until the 19th century, when the French critic Étienne-Joseph-Théophile Thoré reassessed the artist’s work.

What is Johannes Vermeer famous for?

Girl with a Pearl Earring(c. 1665) is probably Johannes Vermeer’s most famous work, but he is also known for his genre paintings. His subjects are often women in interior scenes completing chores, as in The Milkmaid (c. 1660), or engaged in private moments, as in Woman Reading a Letter (c. 1663).

How was Johannes Vermeer educated?

Surprisingly little is known about Vermeer’s decision to become a painter. He registered as a master painter in the Delft Guild of Saint Luke on December 29, 1653, but the identity of his master(s), the nature of his training, and the period of his apprenticeship remain a mystery.

Vermeer Paintbrush Locations

What was Johannes Vermeer’s family like?

Johannes Vermeer was born to Reynier Jansz, who was a weaver producing a fine satin fabric called caffa and was also an art dealer. The family was sufficiently prosperous. Vermeer later married Catherina Bolnes, a young Catholic, with whom he had 15 children (four died in infancy or childhood).

How did Johannes Vermeer die?

Johannes Vermeer’s finances suffered from the economic downturn following the invasion of Holland by France in 1672. He was heavily in debt when he died suddenly, possibly from a short illness, three years later, leaving his wife and children in poverty. His wife believed stress had ruined his health.

Early life

Delft, where Vermeer was born and spent his artistic career, was an active and prosperous place in the mid-17th century, its wealth based on its thriving delftware factories, tapestry-weaving ateliers, and breweries. Within Delft’s city walls were picturesque canals and a large market square, which was flanked by the imposing town hall and the soaring steeple of the Nieuwe Kerk (“New Church”). It was also a venerable city with a long and distinguished past. Delft’s strong fortifications, city walls, and medieval gates had furnished defense for more than three centuries and, during the Dutch revolt against Spanish control, had provided refuge for William I, prince of Orange, from 1572 until his death in 1584.

Vermeer was baptized in the Nieuwe Kerk. His father, Reynier Jansz, was a weaver who produced a fine satin fabric called caffa; he was also active as an art dealer. By 1641 the family was sufficiently prosperous to purchase a large house containing an inn, called the Mechelen, on the market square. Vermeer inherited both the inn and the art-dealing business upon his father’s death in October 1652. By this time, however, Vermeer must have decided that he wanted to pursue a career as a painter.

In April 1653 Vermeer married Catherina Bolnes, a young Catholic woman from the so-called Papenhoek, or Papist’s Corner, of Delft. This union led him to convert from the Protestant faith, in which he was raised, to Catholicism. Later in that decade, Vermeer and his wife moved into the house of the bride’s mother, Maria Thins, who was a distant relative of the Utrecht painter Abraham Bloemaert.

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Artistic training and early influences

Surprisingly little is known about Vermeer’s decision to become a painter. He registered as a master painter in the Delft Guild of Saint Luke on December 29, 1653, but the identity of his master(s), the nature of his training, and the period of his apprenticeship remain a mystery.

Since Vermeer’s name is not mentioned in Delft archival records during the late 1640s or early 1650s, it is possible that, as with many aspiring Dutch artists, he traveled to Italy, France, or Flanders. He also may have trained in some other artistic centre in the Netherlands, perhaps Utrecht or Amsterdam. In Utrecht Vermeer would have met artists who were immersed in the boldly expressive traditions of Caravaggio, among them Gerrit van Honthorst. In Amsterdam he would have encountered the impact of Rembrandt van Rijn, whose powerful chiaroscuro effects enhanced the psychological intensity of his paintings.

Stylistic characteristics of both pictorial traditions—the Utrecht school and that of Rembrandt—are found in Vermeer’s early large-scale biblical and mythological paintings, such as Diana and Her Nymphs (c. 1653–54; also called Diana and Her Companions) and Christ in the House of Mary and Martha (c. 1654–56). The most striking assimilation of the two traditions is apparent in Vermeer’s The Procuress (1656). The subject of this scene of mercenary love is derived from a painting by the Utrecht-school artist Dirck van Baburen in the collection of Vermeer’s mother-in-law, while the deep reds and yellows and the strong chiaroscuro effects are reminiscent of Rembrandt’s style of painting. The dimly lit figure at the left of the composition is probably a self-portrait in which Vermeer assumes the guise of the Prodigal Son, a role that Rembrandt had also played in one of his own “merry company” scenes.

In the early 1650s Vermeer might also have found much inspiration back within his native Delft, where art was undergoing a rapid transformation. The most important artist in Delft at the time was Leonard Bramer, who produced not only small-scale history paintings—that is, morally edifying depictions of biblical or mythological subjects—but also large murals for the court of the prince of Orange. Documents indicate that Bramer, who was Catholic, served as a witness for Vermeer at his marriage. Although it would appear that Bramer was, at the very least, an early advocate for the young artist, nowhere is it stated that he was Vermeer’s teacher.

Another important painter who Vermeer must have known in Delft during this period was Carel Fabritius, a former Rembrandt pupil. Fabritius’s evocatively pensive images and innovative use of perspective seem to have profoundly influenced Vermeer. This connection was noted by the poet Arnold Bon, who, in writing about Fabritius’s tragic death in 1654 in the Delft powder-house explosion, noted that “Vermeer masterfully trod in [Fabritius’s] path.” However, while Vermeer was aware of Fabritius’s work, there is also no evidence to suggest that he studied with Fabritius.

Whatever the circumstances of his early artistic education, by the second half of the 1650s Vermeer began to depict scenes of daily life. These genre paintings are those with which he is most often associated. Gerard Terborch, an artist from Deventer who masterfully rendered texture in his depictions of domestic activities, may well have encouraged Vermeer to pursue scenes of everyday life. Certainly Terborch’s influence is apparent in one of Vermeer’s earliest genre paintings, Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window (c. 1659), in which he created a quiet space for the young woman to read her letter. Unlike the characteristically dark interiors of Terborch, however, Vermeer bathed this remarkably private scene in a radiant light that streams in from an open window. The painting also reveals Vermeer’s developing interest in illusionism, not only in the inclusion of a yellowish green curtain hanging from a rod stretching across the top of the painting, but also in the subtle reflections of the woman’s face in the open window.

Vermeer paintbrush location genshin

Vermeer’s interior scenes during this period were also influenced by the work of Pieter de Hooch, a leading genre painter in Delft at the time. De Hooch was a master of using perspective to create a light-filled interior or courtyard scene in which figures are comfortably situated. Although no documents link Vermeer and de Hooch, it is highly probable that the two artists were in close contact during this period, since the subject matter and style of their paintings during those years were quite similar. Vermeer’s View of Houses in Delft (c. 1658; also called The Little Street) is one such work: as with de Hooch’s courtyard scenes, Vermeer has here portrayed a world of domestic tranquillity, where women and children go about their daily lives within the reassuring setting of their homes.

Quick Facts
baptized
October 31, 1632
Delft, Netherlands
died
December 16, 1675
notable works

There's a lot to take in when starting Genshin Impact. With a big, vibrant world filled with things to explore, players could walk in any direction and hit something interesting. But perhaps the best way to get started in Genshin Impact is to find quests and, basically, never stop.

This is because there are a lot of quests to go around, many exploring the nooks and crannies of Genshin Impact's world. While it's best to stay with the main story quest at first, there are other quests out there waiting for more experienced players. One of these involves Luhua Pool, which is not only beautiful, but also hiding a secret. There's an artist there who's having some trouble with his art supplies and needs the player's help. Here's how to do it.

RELATED: Comparing Genshin Impact to Zelda: Breath of the Wild Does it a Disservice

Step 1: Luhua Pool

The entire quest is centered around Luhua Pool in Liyue, a large lake with some circular ruins in it. Players will find Veneer, the NPC who gives the quest, right nearby. He's a painter who is trying to capture the beauty of the lake, but unfortunately he's lost his painting equipment. Keep in mind that the recommended level for this quest is 30. Be sure to level up and raise the adventure rank before attempting the quest.

Step 2: Finding the Supplies

There are really only two things players have to find here: Vermeer's paintbrush and his paints. Unfortunately he somehow managed to lose them on completely opposite sides of the lake. The distance is just long enough to be annoying, but Genshin Impact's fast travel can help. The brush is at some ruins, in a section overlooking the lake, in what looks like a campsite. There's a glowing spot on the ground, in the corner of a ruined wall. That's the brush.

Next, travel across the lake to the top of a hill. A similar campsite will greet you, complete with books lying around in piles. The paints are there, right under the lip of the cliff. Both of these locations show up in Verneer's painting, which can help when looking for the exact locations.

Step 3: The Statues

The paint is not the end of the quest. Afterwards, players must find a special stone by the Pool's shores. Once found, this stone (plus one more from Verneer) must be placed atop two statues. Once that's done, players will need to use a Geo skill to open a secret passage. Since it's recommended that players reroll their starting character to get Anemo skills, be sure to bring a character with Geo power to the spot.

Step 4: The Fight

Vermeer Paint Brushes Location

All of this leads to a battle against three Abyss Mages, each with a different element. Be sure to learn the elemental matchups against bosses, and players should be good to go.

Genshin Impact is available on PC, PS4, and mobile, with a Switch version in development

MORE: Genshin Impact: How to Explore and Unlock the Tri Seal

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