Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675): Veiled Emotions by Norbert
Schneider was first published in 1993. Since then it has been reprinted several
times. This review is based on a hardcover version that was published in 2016.
The author Norbert Schneider is professor emeritus of
Art History at the University of Karlsruhe. His research focuses on the art of
the middle ages and early modern times.
This biography of Johannes Vermeer is a volume in a
series about famous artists published by the German publishing house Taschen.
There
are more than 50 volumes in this series, which includes Frida Kahlo, Diego
Rivera and Amedeo Modigliani.
A related series covers different types of art.
There are 12 volumes in this series. A second related series covers
architecture. There are 17 volumes in this series.
While the book is published by a German publisher,
there is no need to worry about the language, because everything in it is in
English.
The main text is divided into ten chapters which
follow a (more or less) chronological line from 1632 (when Vermeer was born)
until 1675 (when he passed away).
Here are the headlines:
# 01. Vermeer of Delft
# 02. Views of Delft
# 03. “Mary
Has Chosen the Good Portion”
# 04. The
Temptations of Love
# 05. Secret
Yearnings
# 06. Leading by
Example
# 07. Turbans,
Oriental Pearls and Chinoiserie
# 08. The New
Science
# 09. “Painted
Powerfully and Full of Warmth”
# 10. The
Rediscovery of Vermeer
At the end of the book there is a timeline which
covers Vermeer’s life and work. There is also a section called
"Notes" with references. Finally there is a section with picture
credits.
What about illustrations? The book is illustrated
throughout. All paintings are in colour, unless the original happens to be a drawing
in black-and-white. All paintings by Vermeer are shown and discussed in the
book.
Unfortunately, text and illustration are not always placed next to each
other. From time to time a painting by another artist is shown. This happens
when the work of another artist was an inspiration for Vermeer.
This biography of Vermeer covers his life and his career.
Obviously, there is a
strong focus on his work as an artist.
The author knows his topic very well. When a painting
is presented, the author offers an interpretation of the motive. The author has
a good eye for details. He explains the meaning of every item in the painting.
This approach is very reader-friendly.
On page 40, we have the painting called “The Concert,”
which was painted ca. 1663-1666. The caption explains that it was placed in the
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, but present whereabouts are unknown.
In March 1990 it was stolen from the museum along with several other works of
art. This crime remains unsolved until today, more than 25 years after it was
committed.
Norbert Schneider has written an excellent biography
which covers Vermeer's life and career in great detail. Most importantly, the
author demonstrates the significance of Vermeer; he shows why Vermeer deserves
to be recognized as an artist of international standing.
I like this book, and I want to give it a strong recommendation.
If you are interested in the history of art, this book is definitely something
for you.
PS # 1. Girl with Pearl Earring is a movie which
tells us how one of Vermeer’s paintings came to be made. It premiered in 2003
and was released on DVD in 2004. The movie is a fantasy.
PS # 2. Brush with Fate is a movie about a painting
– allegedly painted by Vermeer – which moves from owner to owner through the
centuries. The movie was shown on US television in 2004 and released on DVD in
2007. This movie is also a fantasy.
PS # 3. For information about the theft of Vermeer’s
painting in 1990, see the following items:
** The Gardner Heist: The True story of the World’s
largest unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser (2010)
** Stolen, a documentary film by Rebecca Dreyfus (shown
on US television – PBS – in 2006)
PS # 4. For general information about stolen art, see
the following book:
The History of Loot and Stolen Art from Antiquity until the
Present Day
by Ivan Lindsay
(2014)
PS # 5. Art of the Heist is a series of 14 documentary
films about the world of art – focusing on theft, forgery and sting operations around
the world since 1911. It was shown on Ovation TV in 2007 and released on DVD in 2015.
*****
Vermeer's painting "The Concert"
(stolen in 1990)
*****
Additional references:
Close to Vermeer
(2023)
Vermeer:
The Greatest Exhibition
(2023)
*****
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