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Johannes Vermeer
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Though he apparently produced fewer than 40 paintings in his lifetime, Dutch painter Jan Vermeer is one of the most respected artists of the European tradition. Most of Vermeer's paintings are serene, luminous interiors populated by one or two figures. They are widely admired for their transparent colours, well thought-out composition and brilliant use of light. Growing-up in Delft, Holland, Vermeer was admitted to the painter's guild in 1653, and was thereafter permitted to sell his art. Vermeer's work as an art dealer neeted him far more income than his paintings did, to support his wife and 11 children. Beginning in 1672, war with France ruined Holland's economy, and Vermeer's business also failed. Soon after, Vermeer died of a stroke at the age of 42, leaving his family bankrupt. His widow, Catharina, had to trade all paintings still in her possession to the city council in return for a small allowance. Vermeer's paintings were then largely forgotten for nearly 200 years, until 1858 when a French critic began to write admiringly about his work. Interest in his work again surged recently, with exhibits at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Several contemporary writers have been inspired by his work, including Tracy Chevalier whose novel, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" imagines the life of the girl in Vermeer's painting of the same name. To raise the value of his paintings after his death, many of them were sometimes sold bearing the name of other painters. Because of this, rumours are rampant that there are still many unverified Vermeer paintings yet to be discovered.
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