Thank you for a deep look and fine commentary into these great paintings. Wonder how a group of high school students would interpret them today, without any advisement.
i love the fact that you are dissecting each and every vermeer. each piece is precious. excellent information about one of my all time favorite artists. thank you for sharing your knowledge.
1:11:41 “The picture on the right…” is _Roman Charity: Cimon and Pero_ by Dirck van Baburen. (Vermeer’s mother-in-law is known to have owned a version of the painting.)
I assume that none of Vermeer's painting have been named by the painter himself. Unfortunately, the painting often referred to as "The Milk Maid" is a misnomer. Yes, she IS pouring milk. But that does not make her a milk maid. In The Netherlands at this time, a milk maid did not work in the home. She tended the cows and the milking. What we see here is a Kitchen Maid !
You are right, Vermeer's paintings were named later. "The Milkmaid" was named in the 1850s by the Dutch art critic and historian who 'discovered' Vermeer, Théophile Thoré-Bürger; before then it was called "The Kitchen Maid" or "Woman Pouring Milk".
In 1672 the economic depression was the least of the Dutch Republic's problems.It's called the disaster year. France and England attacked together, the English had gone behind the Dutch back with the secret treaty of Dover, the bishopries of Cologne and Münster attacked from the East too. Total annihilation of the Dutch Republic was only just escaped, but the huge painting industry, 70.000 painting per year, never recovered. Most historians agree 1672 was the end of the Dutch Golden Age, but everything recovered mostly, except painting, that almost vanished. As a dealer with a large collection, that was what got Vermeer in financial problems.
I agree, but I didn't want to get sidetracked into all the causes and consequences of the Rampjaar and I thought that talking about the severe economic depression would explain the reason why Vermeer's wife said he was unable to sell his paintings.
@@LaurenceShafe It is correct and relevant information, it's just remarkable that the Dutch painting industry basically ended in one year while the rest of economy mostly recovered.
Im a painter but seeing him disheartens me. Today its all abstract and modern and in the end do you choose reality or abstract. I dont have a clue anymore.
Great information, I really never thought to in-depth about cultural traditions and biases that made their way into art, I guess I just accepted that was just the way they did their interpretation and impressions. I did to some extent realize the Biblical inference and allegory of the subject matter and supposed that was the desire of the consumer/customer of the art. I wonder if Vermeer was a Homebody and was most comfortable in that environment. Great artist if not one of the best ever.
