Vermeer

<p>Though numbering just 35 known works, the œuvre of <strong>Johannes Vermeer</strong> (1632–1675) is hailed as one of the<strong> most important and inspiring portfolios in art history</strong>. His paintings have prompted a <em>New York Times</em> best seller, a film starring Scarlett Johansson, and record visitor numbers at art institutions from Amsterdam to Washington.<br /><br /> Vermeer’s subjects focus on daily domestic activities, from letter writing to music playing to preparations in the kitchen. The scenes astound with their <strong>meticulous detail</strong>, <strong>majestic planes of light</strong>, and with Vermeer’s extraordinary ability to draw out <strong>narrative intrigues</strong>. In such beloved paintings as <em>Lady Standing at a Virginal, A Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid </em>and, most famously, the enigmatic, wide-eyed, and enchanting <strong><em>Girl with a Pearl Earring</em>, </strong>Vermeer evokes not only the effects of substance and texture, but also the many stories and secrets that reside beneath the surface.<br /><br /> Featuring all Vermeer’s known works and <strong>succinct, accessible texts</strong>, this <strong>essential introduction </strong>explores Vermeer’s leading place in art history and his unique ability to transform oil paint into a living, breathing scene of human life.</p>