Vermeer’s Art: Rijksmuseum Exhibition, Discoveries & Impact

In the end, just nine Vermeers thwarted the Rijksmuseum. The Rijksmuseum then supplied “buses to drive the trainees to the Amsterdam gallery, so that they might see no less than 29 Vermeer paintings– this was decreased”.

Study on Vermeer’s use of environment-friendly and blue pigments suggests that these images ought to now be dated later on in his profession than had actually previously been suggested, to around 1669. To add to the confusion, the NGA rejects the acknowledgment of its Woman with a Groove, appointing it to a studio associate of Vermeer and dating it to 1669-75. Saint Praxedis was completely approved by the Rijksmuseum as a Vermeer in the 2023 exhibition, two professionals in the book define its standing as “contested”.

Rijksmuseum’s Vermeer Exhibition Highlights

Pieter Roelofs, the head of penalty and ornamental arts at the museum, discloses that initially he and his elderly co-curator Gregor Weber were not intending a narrowly concentrated show on the musician, yet “a rather wider, thematic exhibition, with Vermeer in the leading role, amongst the job of various other musicians”. That idea was later on abandoned, in favour of simply providing as numerous as feasible of the 37 paints. The program had a one-word title: Vermeer (10 February-4 June 2023).

Visitors at the Amsterdam gallery group around among the artist’s most well-known jobs, The Milkmaid (1658-59). It was among the 28 jobs assembled for the show that made it the largest-ever Vermeer exhibit

Visitor Experience and Exhibition Popularity

It is unusual for stats to be released of the optimum variety of site visitors in an exhibit at any type of one-time, yet Roelofs exposes that it was 400, with a typical stay of one hour. Considering the 10 galleries, this should have stood for around one minute before each paint. Thinking about the challenges of purchasing a ticket (and the common EUR30 rate), this rate is amazing.

New Discoveries Through Advanced Imaging

As the Closer to Vermeer publication discloses, a host of discoveries have actually been made as an outcome of research around the Rijksmuseum exhibition. Many interesting are the numerous adjustments that Vermeer made to his make-ups as he was servicing them, alterations which have been spotted making use of advanced imaging modern technology.

Some experts accepted this duplicate of the Ficherelli as a very early Vermeer, although others examined the acknowledgment. The most current research shows that the white paint in Saint Praxedis was made from English lead, yet this neither validates neither shoots down the Vermeer acknowledgment. Saint Praxedis was completely accepted by the Rijksmuseum as a Vermeer in the 2023 exhibit, two experts in the book define its condition as “contested”.

The exhibit existed elegantly, with extremely succinct labels by the paints (merely offering title, date and owner). Most likely consequently, a quarter of site visitors evaluated were disappointed that “context was missing out on”. Only 62% really felt that they had actually obtained a “good photo” of Vermeer’s life.

Vermeer’s Painting Techniques and Adjustments

– While working on The Milkmaid (Rijksmuseum, 1658-59), Vermeer shortened the woman’s blue apron a little, to leave even more space for the red skirt. This small change enhanced the feeling of deepness in the foreground.

– In Police Officer and Laughing Woman (1657-58), in New York’s Frick Collection, Vermeer removed some flamboyant ostrich feathers from the male’s fancy hat. As the Rijksmuseum conservators explain, Vermeer may have found the colourful plumes “also distracting from the female and the intimate scene playing between her and the policeman”.

Exhibition’s Impact and Academic Scholarship

The Rijksmuseum’s Vermeer exhibit of 2023 is perhaps the world’s most successful program this century. It was spectacular in terms of ticket sales (650,000, with the primary batch offering out only 2 days after the opening), the presentation of the largest-ever team of the musician’s jobs (28 of the 37 paintings) and for what it disclosed regarding the photos.

The results of that scholarship have actually currently been set up in the Rijksmuseum’s book, Closer to Vermeer: New Study on the Painter and his Art, with 23 essays by specialists. Guide opens with an honest account of just how the program was organised, taking us behind the scenes in such a way that seldom occurs with exhibitions.

Ticket Resales and Desperation to See Vermeer

It comes as a shock that when the exhibition was open, both the Dutch royal family and the Queen of Belgium came throughout “normal seeing hours” (a comparison with the brief see of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French Head Of State Emmanuel Macron to the British Museum on 9 July, when the entire structure was shut for a complete day). The Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited Vermeer “numerous times”.

Dating Vermeer’s Paintings and Pigment Analysis

The Closer to Vermeer book records that the most expensive re-selled ticket on ebay.com chose $2,724. That stark figure reflects the desperation of those not wishing to miss out on the unbelievable chance to see a lot of the master’s work.

Research on Vermeer’s usage of environment-friendly and blue pigments suggests that these images ought to currently be dated later on in his career than had formerly been recommended, to around 1669. To add to the complication, the NGA denies the attribution of its Woman with a Groove, designating it to a studio partner of Vermeer and dating it to 1669-75. The Lacemaker was dated to 1666-68 in the event brochure (while the painting continued to be on funding to Louvre Abu Dhabi), however the Musée du Louvre currently dates it to 1669-70.

Pieter Roelofs, the head of penalty and decorative arts at the museum, reveals that at first he and his senior co-curator Gregor Weber were not intending a directly concentrated program on the artist, however “a rather wider, thematic exhibition, with Vermeer in the leading duty, amongst the work of other artists”. The Rijksmuseum then supplied “buses to drive the students to the Amsterdam museum, so that they could check out no less than 29 Vermeer paintings– this was decreased”.