Vermeer Trivia

1. What is the city that Johannes Vermeer was born in?

From Quiz The Life of Johannes Vermeer

Answer: Delft

Born in 1632 in Delft, he lived there most if not all of his life. The blue style of painting dishes and or fragile pieces of artwork is named after this town. Of the 36 paintings attributed to him, there are a few that show scenes from his hometown. If by chance you put Poffertjes, that is not a town; that is a delightful pastry shaped like a small half-dollar size pancake. You should try them some time, they are made at booths here in my hometown during Tulip Time, a festival in my hometown celebrating our Dutch heritage. It occurs the first weekend in May in Pella, Iowa. Sorry, any self-respecting Dutchman can't help getting off track when talking about Poffertjes. Mmmmm. Next question...

From Quiz The Life of Johannes Vermeer

Answer: 43

Late in his days, he went into a frenzy, and never recovered. Johannes in his adult life went by the first name Jan, and that is what is listed on his grave marker.

From Quiz Vermeer: Portraits of Women

Answer: The Letter (a.k.a. Woman in Blue)

The young woman in this painting appears to be with child, which has given rise to speculation that the model was Vermeer's own wife Catherina, who bore him fifteen children. There is some question as to whether she is indeed pregnant, or whether the garment she is wearing (known as a farthingale) simply gives the appearance of pregnancy. The general consensus seems to be that she is with child, but that she is not necessarily Vermeer's wife. A map on the wall behind the woman (maps frequently feature in the background of Vermeer's paintings) suggests that possibly the letter is from someone traveling abroad (probably her husband). The 1657 painting "Woman Reading a Letter by an Open Window" is similar in several respects, and uses apparently the same model. X-rays indicate that this earlier painting included a painting of a cupid on the wall behind the girl, indicating that she was reading a love letter.

From Quiz Vermeer: Portraits of Women

Answer: Girl With a Red Hat

You can almost feel the warmth of the hat's bright red fur in this painting. The hat shades the upper half of the girl's head, drawing the viewer's attention to her lips, which echo the redness of the hat. As with "The Lacemaker", there are indications that Vermeer used a camera obscura for this portrait. The rather blurred quality of the carved woodwork towards the front of the painting is typical of the effect that a camera obscura gives.

From Quiz The Life of Johannes Vermeer

Answer: fifteen

Jan was blessed (depending on your point of view) with eleven children that survived infanthood; four of their children died very early in their lives. As was customary, children were often named after the children's grandparents. But evidence points to Jan possibly being estranged from his parents, as none of the eleven are named after them.

From Quiz Vermeer: Portraits of Women

Answer: Girl With a Pearl Necklace

The young woman's expression is one of awe verging on delight as she holds the necklace up to her throat. Pearls were a common feature in Vermeer's paintings (as we'll see further), and he painted them with great skill. The gold-colored dress, luxuriously trimmed with ermine, will also feature in a number of other paintings. A letter on her dressing table indicates that she is adorning herself for a tryst with a lover.

From Quiz Vermeer: Portraits of Women

Answer: Young Woman With a Water Pitcher

This was the first Vermeer painting I ever saw, and it remains my favorite. The brass pitcher and tray are also beautifully rendered. The map on the wall behind features in a number of Vermeer's paintings. It has been suggested that this painting is an allegory of virtue; the woman looks through the open window to the world outside. On the table are the water pitcher (symbolizing purity and virtue) and a box of pearls and laces (symbolic of worldly luxury). Her hand is upon the pitcher, indicating the choice she has made. On a more basic level, this can be viewed simply as a genre painting.

From Quiz The Life of Johannes Vermeer

Answer: The same room

Vermeer did a good amount of his work in the upstairs loft of his house. You can see by the light coming in at the same angle from the upper left-side window, and the black-and-white checkerboard pattern that appears on the floor, that likely he created the many scenes in this same room. While the signature on his paintings did stay similar near the end of his life, it bounced around in different forms during his first two-thirds of his work, seeming to change almost painting to painting. The people and clothes in his paintings did reoccur, but rarely.

From Quiz Vermeer: Portraits of Women

Answer: Girl Asleep at a Table

The girl has nodded off with her chin resting on her hand; one senses that she will start awake at any moment. The wine on the table suggests the cause of her unusual drowsiness. Many 17th century Dutch paintings depicted servant girls who had fallen asleep after dipping into the wine; in this painting, the girl's elegant dress, and the fact that she is seated at table, suggest that she is the lady of the house. Oriental carpets, such as the one in this painting, were frequently used as table coverings in Vermeer's time.

From Quiz The Life of Johannes Vermeer

Answer: A music keyboard

A virginal is a keyboard instrument similar to a harpsichord. The instrument was most popular during the 17th century in Northern Europe, both the time and place of the Vermeer era.

From Quiz Vermeer: Portraits of Women

Answer: Woman Weighing Pearls (a.k.a. Woman Weighing Gold)

The woman is weighing earthly goods while, in the painting behind her, the souls of humans are weighed in the balance, creating an interesting allegory. The partially drawn curtain over the window darkens the room, so that the pearls on the table shine almost like stars. Although the title "Woman Weighing Pearls" is more commonly used, it has been noted that there are no pearls in the scales which the woman is holding. The scales seem to hold gold coins, such as those seen at the front of the table, hence the alternate (and probably more accurate title) "Woman Weighing Gold".

From Quiz The Life of Johannes Vermeer

Answer: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

All of the men listed came from the Netherlands, but van Leeuwenhoek lived in Delft in the same neighborhood as Vermeer. Antonie is known as the "father of microbiology" for his improvements on the microscope. Some have suggested that Vermeer's paintings, "The Astronomer" and "The Geographer" had van Leeuwenhoek as the model. But about the same number of scholars state that there isn't much similarity in the face structure of the two men.

From Quiz Vermeer: Portraits of Women

Answer: The Music Lesson (a.k.a. Girl Standing at a Virginal)

The girl stands at the virginal; we see her face in the mirror above. A large cello (or bass violin) lies on the floor behind her. Another painting entitled "Woman Standing at a Virginal" shows a woman in a blue dress who faces the viewer. In yet another painting, a girl sits at the virginal. Mastering the keyboard was an approved pastime for young maidens in Vermeer's time which, in fact, is why these instruments were called "virginals". In this painting, the lid of the virginal is, typically, raised. A Latin inscription can clearly be read on the inside of the cover: "Musica Laetitiae Comes Medicina Dolorum" ("Music is the companion for joy and a medicine for sorrow"). It is not clear whether the young man to the right of the painting is the music master, or (which is more likely) a young suitor.

From Quiz Vermeer: Portraits of Women

Answer: The Guitar Player

This painting is a study in shades of gold and yellow. The young woman wears the yellow, ermine trimmed farthingale which features in a number of other paintings ("The Love Letter", "Woman With a Pearl Necklace", "Lady Writing a Letter", "Lady With a Maidservant", and "Woman Plying a Lute Near a Window", which is similar in some respects to "The Guitar Player" and uses possibly the same model), the gold of the picturse frame, the deep honey-yellow of the wood forming the body of the instrument, and the elegant, gilded circular inset under the strings. These colors give brightness to the rather dim room in which the young woman is sitting. She smiles, and glances to the left of the painting, suggesting that she is playing for a companion or visitor outside of the range of the portrait.

From Quiz Vermeer: Portraits of Women

Answer: Young Woman With a Wineglass

There is another painting entitled "A Glass of Wine" (1658-60), considerably different in tone, which uses this same room setting and similar elements. In that painting, the young woman has drained a glass of wine, which almost covers her face (her eyes are hidden behind her head covering). At her side is a young man, who stands ready to refill her empty glass. The suggestion is that the young woman has fallen completely under the influence of wine (and, by inference, to the young man who is plying her with drink), a suggestion reinforced by the allegorical figure of Temperance on the staained glass winow to the left. The tone of "Young Woman with a Wineglass" is much lighter, although the warning elements are still present. Here, the girl holds a partially filled glass, her hand being supported by the rather seedy gentleman at her side (it is not clear whether she is handing him the glass, after having tasted it, or whether he is trying to coax the glass to her lips). She smiles at the viewer; clearly she is enjoying herself, but she seems also to be wondering which course of action to take. The warning figure of Temperance in the window is apparent; more so in this painting, where the image is clearer (it appears, significantly, rather soiled in "A Glass of Wine"), inicating that, perhaps, this young woman will make a wiser choice.

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