Vermeer Ian: paintings. Dutch painter Jan Vermeer

The artist Jan Vermeer is one of the famous artists of the so-called Golden Age of Dutch fine arts. He is considered an unsurpassed master of genre portrait and everyday painting. His name stands on a par with Frans Hals and Rembrandt. Since the birthplace and death of the artist is one small town not far from The Hague, in the Russian tradition of art history he is called Jan Vermeer of Delft. In this article we will consider the life and creative path of the painter.

Childhood and youth

The exact date of birth of the artist, we do not know. But he was baptized on the last day of October 1632 in one of the parish churches of Delft. Contrary to all the ideas about large families of that time, the father of Jan Vermeer had, besides his son, only a daughter. She was twelve years old when she was born. About the master's mother, Diegne Baltes, we know almost nothing. Janson Reineer moved from Antwerp to Amsterdam in 1611 and was engaged in weaving in silk. Having already married, he migrated to Delft and bought an inn there. We do not know the reason, but for some reason he changed his name and surname. The owner of the hotel "Mechelen" was now called Rayner van Vos. He did not abandon the weaving and signed up for the Guild of St. Luke - a shop that united all art workers. In this "union" in the twenty-first year of life joined and Vermeer Ian, whose pictures after several years shook the world.

Education

One thing is clear: the son did not follow in the footsteps of his father and did not study silk for weaving. Who did he take drawing lessons from? After all, in order to become a member of the Guild of St. Luke, it was necessary to deserve the title of master. And this, in turn, was preceded by at least six years of study and stay in the status of an apprentice. The record that Jan Vermeer Delftsky became a member of the guild, refers to the end of December 1653. So, I decided on my profession and started a teenager in the fifteenth year of my life. Who was his teacher? Most art critics agree that they could be either Leonard Bramer or Gerard ter Borch. There is also a version that has not found documentary evidence that Karel Fabricius, a former student of Rembrandt, was helping to make the first steps in the visual arts to Jan Vermeer. Peter de Hoogh had an unconditional influence on the young artist. Vermeer inherited his style of genre painting in his canvases. But Hooch could not be a teacher of a young genius, since he lived in Delft only in 1652.

Personal life

While still a contender for the position of a free master in the guild of St. Luke, Jan Vermeer married. His chosen one was Katarina Bolnes, the daughter of a successful entrepreneur who owns a brick bricks factory near Delft. On the way to marriage, lovers were waiting for obstacles, but not material. The fact is that Ian Vermeer was from a Protestant family, and his bride was from a Catholic family. The mother of the girl, Maria Bolnes, at first flatly refused the applicant for the hand of her daughter. It took the intercession of Bramer, also a Catholic, so that the heart of the future mother-in-law would soften. The wedding took place on April 20, 1653. Under the contract, the newlyweds moved to the bride's house. But the artist continued to support his mother, who ran the hotel. Ian Vermeer and Catarina Bollnes had fifteen children, but only eleven survived the infant age. Artists of that time often depicted on their canvases wives or lovers. Do not stay away from this trend and Vermeer Ian. The artist's paintings are sometimes depicted as Catarina. For example, we can see her, pregnant, on the canvas "Woman with weights".

Career

The artist's family was not poor. Originally, the Mechelen hotel, which was located on the main market square of Delft, helped to support a large family. The artists of the Netherlands did not usually live in poverty. Paintings and objects of applied art were very much in demand in the Dutch society. Masters of a lesser talent made themselves fortunate, drawing several paintings a month. But Ian Vermeer did not like to hurry. He wrote two pictures throughout the year. Such slowness terribly annoyed his mother-in-law, but not patrons. They were ready to pay big money for his canvases. The main admirers of the master's work were Hendrik van Buyten and Jacob Dissius, baker and publisher of Delft. The fact that the painting of Jan Vermeer was valued by his contemporaries is evidenced by the fact that the artist was twice elected dean of the Guild of St. Luke (in 1662-1663, and also 1670-1671).

last years of life

The master of genre painting was also valued as an art critic. This is the only trip in Vermeer's life for the city. He would never leave Delft, if Friedrich Wilhelm I, the Elector of Brandenburg, were not offered to buy a collection of Roman and Venetian paintings. So the artist went as an expert in The Hague to check the authenticity of the canvases. The notarial act has survived, which indicates that the masters Jordaens Jacob and Vermeer Jan paintings were considered not genuine and worth a tenth of the asking price. With such a favor, the artist ended his days almost in poverty. In 1672, the Dutch-French war began, which lasted seven years. Trade in art objects froze. Vermeer was forced to take loans to support a large family. In 1675, the painter fell ill and died suddenly. All his inheritance went to the creditors.

Vermeer Jan: early works

For a long time the young master was impressed by the Italian baroque. His early paintings are monumental and elevated images. The artist turns to religious themes ("Christ is with Mary and her sisters Martha"). His influence is and the Dutch master of genre painting Peter de Hoogh. His style was continued and developed in the canvases of Vermeer. The most significant picture of this period can be called the large-figure canvas "The Vault". There is an opinion that the character on the right is a self-portrait of the artist. The composition of the canvas "At the Vault" is bright, full of youthful enthusiasm and sensuality. Tonal color boldly combines with sonorous spots of pure color. From the late 1650's, the artist changed the manner of the image. He writes small canvases with one or more characters and pays attention not so much to the plot as to the general mood, the atmosphere of the scene. At the same time, he carefully writes out the details, thinks through the lighting, which transforms the interior of a small city room. Typical for this period paintings are "The Girl with a Letter", "The Milkwoman", "Lacemaker".

Jan Vermeer: "The Girl with the Pearl Earring"

This is the artist's most famous painting. It belongs to The Hague Museum, but it almost never can be found on the spot - it often tours the world. And the girl depicted in the picture is often called the "Northern Mona Lisa". The master in this canvas reached the peak of his genius. A young girl is like the personification of a gentle femininity. The entire canvas is imbued with endless lyricism. Turning the head with a defenseless look, pearl-blue kerchiefs on a dark background seem to glow. Whom did Jan Vermeer portray in the picture? A girl with a pearl earring ... It could be Maria - the eldest daughter of an artist. But, as opponents of this point of view, the first-born in the family appeared in 1653. Consequently, at the time of writing the picture (1665) Mary was only twelve. No matter how young the girl is in the picture, she is still clearly older than the artist's daughter.

Late canvases

At the end of the 60s of the seventeenth century, the artist changed his manner a little. Now he has two favorite topics. They are gentlemen and ladies who conduct gallant conversations, relish wine or play music in richly decorated rooms. As an example, you can cite "Love Letter" and "A Young Woman with a Guitar". And the second theme is people, passionate about their work. The inquisitive mind of a man is depicted in the canvases "Astronomer", "Geographer", "In the artist's studio". The work and training of women is another topic that Vermeer Ian addresses to the end of his short life. The paintings "Lacemaker", "Lady at the back", "Woman in blue, reading a letter" and "A girl trying on a necklace" are vivid examples of this period of the artist's work.