Comments on: Why is Vermeer’s painting so popular?

By: Jane

Jane — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:13:23 +0000

Milkmaid at the MET

Lower right corner of the picture with the ‘delft tiles’ is in another space, very distant. Looks like people, far away, on the edge of a lake or a beach. A visual perspective trick.

The picture is a direct copy of Sorgh’s painting ‘the Kitchen’. Why did he copy it?

Not repetative – almost every picture has the window in the upper left corner.

By: Sara E. Matson

Sara E. Matson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:56:30 +0000

Thank you for such a concise summary of why Vermeer seems to attract the popularity he has. We all seem be nostalgic for a more simple, quieter time. On a more personal note, I can say without hesitation, that the very reasons why I dislike most ‘art’ of today is that it more often than not seems to reflect the egos of the artists and not with the art itself. Large scale installations, public sculptures and monuments to absurdity won’t be around in four hundred years but we’ll still be looking at Vermeer and his small scale world with ordinary people. It hardly seems a paradox. Its a simple reality: the general public wants to experience art that speaks to them.

By: Richard A. Smith

Richard A. Smith — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:46:33 +0000

Incorrect for #6. The Thumb cannot exist on Catharina’s hand in the large picture, Lady with her maid. IT IS A KNUCKLE-LENGTH TOO LONG.Vermeer has to be said to be a bad painter of hands , or he did it for a purpose. That purpose must have been a bawdy joke for his friends/family, which would indcate a sense of humour, whether we like it or not!

By: Mark Walmsley

Mark Walmsley — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:59:39 +0000

Fine post, Jonathan. You are are right all around, but I especially agree on point 6 about the evocation of calm. I believe what they mean to many people is most about this moment of stillness in everyday life, executed with such craft. I like to think that in major museums (such as the bustling Rijksmuseum I just got back from) full of powerful statements, this stillness is often what visitors find themselves craving the most. The paintings give them permission to be still in their own minds, for a while… And the iconography and further complexities can be built up from there, as one wishes, or not.

By: Deb Schmit

Deb Schmit — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:33:53 +0000

Jonathon I just found your blog through Christopher Stott.
Your work is amazing, and the blog and website, wonderful resources!
This post confirms what I also believe. That the bland array of contemporary artists slapping paint around on huge canvases, for the sole purpose of filling wall space, has had its heyday. You’ve reminded me that its okay to slow down and think about the process. To hold respect for the timeless quality of enduring art.
Thank you so much!
Deb

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:19:31 +0000

Thank you for posting this.