Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) is one of the most celebrated painters of the Dutch Golden Age, renowned for his masterly treatment of light and his quiet, enigmatic interior scenes. Unlike his contemporaries who produced hundreds of works, Vermeer left behind a small oeuvre of only about 34 to 36 universally attributed paintings.

Born in the city of Delft, where he lived his entire life, Vermeer inherited his father’s art dealing business and inn. In 1653, he converted to Catholicism to marry Catharina Bolnes, a wealthy Catholic woman. He became a master in the Guild of Saint Luke that same year and later served as its head, indicating he was a respected figure in the local art community.

Vermeer specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. His work is distinguished by its purity of light and form, often depicting a solitary figure engaged in a quiet task—pouring milk, reading a letter, or playing music—bathed in natural light streaming from a window on the left. He was known for his lavish use of expensive pigments, particularly natural ultramarine (lapis lazuli), and his innovative use of pointillé (dots of paint) to suggest the sparkle of light on surfaces.

Art historians have long debated whether Vermeer used optical devices such as the camera obscura to achieve his precise perspective and the “soft focus” effects seen in masterpieces like The Art of Painting and View of Delft.

Despite his artistic brilliance, Vermeer struggled financially, especially after the “Disaster Year” of 1672 (the French invasion of the Netherlands) collapsed the art market. He died in 1675 after a short illness brought on by stress, leaving his wife and children in debt. He fell into obscurity for two centuries until he was “rediscovered” in the 19th century by French art critic Thoré-Bürger, who dubbed him “The Sphinx of Delft.” Today, his works, such as Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Milkmaid, are among the most treasured in the world.

Active in others filds : Art Dealer, Innkeeper.