New research on Vermeer reveals that he initially painted the house in his famous The Little Street with the door closed
Johannes Vermeer initially painted the house in his renowned painting The Little Street (c. 1658–1659) with the door closed. Also discovered is that the woman now seated in the doorway is a mirrored copy of the figure he at first placed at the alley’s entrance to the left of the house. These new findings add to the previously known changes Vermeer made, such as the addition of the red shutter on the right and the children playing on the doorstep. All of this is detailed in the new book Closer to Vermeer: New Research on the Painter and His Art, published to mark the 350th anniversary of Vermeer’s death. The book is the result of extensive, multidisciplinary research on Johannes Vermeer and his working methods, carried out before, during, and after the Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in 2023.
“By literally opening the door, Vermeer makes the scene accessible to the viewer. These and the many other new discoveries in the book paint a picture of a dedicated artist constantly striving to perfect his paintings”. Pieter Roelofs – Head of Fine Arts, Rijksmuseum.
The research was conducted by scientists, conservators, and curators from institutions including the Rijksmuseum, the Mauritshuis in The Hague, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, The Frick Collection and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery in London, and the University of Antwerp.
Earlier in this same study, it was discovered that in The Milkmaid , Vermeer had initially included a jug holder and a fire basket, but later painted them out. Using the latest research techniques, we now know that 30 of the 37 paintings attributed to Vermeer show changes, ranging from subtle corrections to radical alterations in composition and meaning. These findings offer new insights into Vermeer’s working methods, use of materials, and painting technique.
CLOSER TO VERMEER: New Research on the Painter and His Art
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam/Hannibal Books, Veurne
ISBN 978 94 6494 199 9
432 pages
Price: € 69.50
