Vermeer was brilliant, but he was not without influences
A blockbuster show punctures the myth of the solitary genius
JOHANNES VERMEER’S depictions of contemplative moments in serene Dutch interiors have made viewers lean in and gasp for centuries. Only 34 paintings out of a total of no more than 50 have survived, and there are no extant diaries or letters to reveal the intimate chambers of his own life. He was nicknamed “the Sphinx of Delft” by a 19th-century art historian, and thus was born the image of a lone genius working in isolation.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Answering the riddle”
From the October 14th 2017 edition
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