John Michael Montias

Albert Blankert

Gilles Aillaud

Het leven en werk van Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), geplaatst in de tradities van zijn tijd. Met zeer uitgebreide oeuvre-catalogus.

Vermeer

This book is not only a fascinating biography of one of the greatest painters of the seventeenth century but also a social history of the colorful extended family to which he belonged and of the town life of the period. It explores a series of distinct worlds: Delft's Small-Cattle Market, where Vermeer's paternal family settled early in the century; the milieu of shady businessmen in Amsterdam that recruited Vermeer's grandfather to counterfeit coins; the artists, military contractors, and Protestant burghers who frequented the inn of Vermeer's father in Delft's Great Market Square; and the quiet, distinguished "Papists Corner" in which Vermeer, after marrying into a high-born Catholic family, retired to practice his art, while retaining ties with wealthy Protestant patrons. The relationship of Vermeer to his principal patron is one of many original discoveries in the book.

A Web of Social History

Vermeer and His Milieu

In this study of Amsterdam's Golden Age cultural elite, John Michael Montias analyzes records of auctions from the Orphan Chamber of Amsterdam through the first half of the seventeenth century, revealing a wealth of information on some 2,000 art buyers' regional origins, social and religious affiliations, wealth, and aesthetic preferences. Chapters focus not only on the art dealers who bought at these auctions, but also on buyers who had special connections with individual artists.

Art at Auction in 17th Century Amsterdam

John Loughman

"The seventeenth century in the Northern Netherlands was a period that saw the widespread 'domestication' of easel pictures, when paintings were acquired in significant numbers by a broad cross-section of society as a means of decorating the home. This is the first extended study to look at the role and function of paintings and other works of art in Dutch homes of the seventeenth century. In what numbers were paintings dispersed throughout the various rooms of the house? Were certain subjects regarded as more appropriate than others for display in a particular room? In what arrangements were paintings hung on the walls and how did this affect the way in which they were apprehended? A wide range of contemporary sources are drawn upon, including estate inventories and other archival material, published texts on art, architecture and social manners, and images of the domestic interior. In one chapter a close analysis is made of a small number of individual inventories, which are fully transcribed in the appendices, investigating the motivations that lie behind the display of works of art and their relationship to other furnishings."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

John Michael Montias

About

Books

Join the club