The informative Vermeer Centre in Delft

Delft is the city of Johannes Vermeer, where, as far as we know, he spent his entire life. However, Delft cannot pride itself on owning even a single one of his paintings. Fortunately, the Vermeer Centre provides a remedy for this. Opened in 2007 on Voldersgracht near the market square, the centre offers an overview of Vermeer’s career, his work as a painter, the environment that shaped him and the artworks he created. The Vermeer Centre also displays high-quality photographs of his 37 paintings in their original size.

 

 

We gain an overview of Vermeer’s work and the Delft milieu of his time with the help of photographs of his paintings, an illuminating interactive map and a camera obscura, which brings the hustle and bustle outside the house into the interior and is believed to have been used by Vermeer to compose his paintings. Explanations of the restoration of Vermeer’s Woman Reading in Blue from the Rijksmuseum and the symbolism of his paintings deepen our knowledge of his work. A particular highlight is the room that sheds light on Vermeer’s artistic practice, providing us with interesting insights into his painting tools and the pigments he used.

Get to knkow Johannes Vermeer

Vermeer Centre Delft, Pigments for painting

 

The Vermeer Centre is located on the site in Delft where the Guild of Saint Luke once stood. This guild brought together painters, potters, booksellers, and glaziers. From 1661 onwards, the guild met in a building at Voldersgracht 21, which had previously housed the city’s Old Men’s Home (Oude Mannenhuis). The building was renovated several times before being demolished in 1876 to make way for a school, which has also since been demolished. A few years ago, the Guild of Saint Luke building was rebuilt on its original site, albeit not entirely accurately, and now welcomes visitors from all over the world to the Vermeer Centre, which is run entirely by volunteers.

On 29 December 1653, Johannes Vermeer himself became a master painter and a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in Delft. From that moment on, he was permitted to practise his art independently and sell his work. There were not many of them. Of the estimated 45 to 50 paintings he created during his lifetime, 37 survive today, although some question Vermeer’s authorship of one or two of them. In 1662 and 1670, Johannes Vermeer was elected captain of the Guild of Saint Luke. So this is where a significant part of his work took place. Along with the Vermeer Centre’s high-quality presentation, this is a good reason to visit this address.

And get to know and appreciate this charming little town even better on a guided city tour in Delft afterwards!

June 2017

 

Vermeer Centre Delft, exhibition gallery