Johannes Vermeer

Brief Introduction of Johannes Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) was a Dutch painter. He did not become world famous until many decades after his death. Although he produced no more than fifty oil paintings, his existing artworks are masterful enough to compete with other well-known artists. Vermeer was born in a poor family. He married Catharani Bolnes, a young woman from a wealthier family. The couple had fifteen children together, eleven of whom survived past infancy. Vermeer used his talent of oil paintings to support his family. Unfortunately, he died of illness and poverty at the age of 43.

Painting Style

Vermeer’s life is mysterious and till now the life story about him is limited, especially his oil painting life. Fortunately, archival materials have provided a glimpse into his life and work. His realistic oil paintings of domestic scenes showed his focus on composition and detail. Vermeer kept developing his own style, painting in the Baroque and Dutch Golden Age traditions. He was particularly talented at capturing the movement of light and shadow on his subjects. While some of his oil paintings display mythological themes, such as Diana and her Companions. Vermeer primarily focused on scenes of local life. However, he did not gain great fame during his short life. Now, Vermeer’s oil paintings are widely recognized as masterpieces.

The Most Famous Oil Paintings

Girl with a Pearl Earring; The Milkmaid; Portrait of a Young Woman; The Lacemaker; Saint Praxidis

With the great respect to Johannes Vermeer, his accomplishments is significant and remarkable. As his art lovers, it would mean a lot if own fine art reproductions of his great oil paintings. It will be HandmadePiece’s honor to help you make it come true if you want to have better painting reproductions.