Vermeer : La Fabrique De La Gloire

New edition

Often considered one of the major painters of the Dutch Golden Age, Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) has been the subject of a considerable number of studies and publications. These have generally reduced him to two images: that of the "Sphinx of Delft", the brilliant artist withdrawn into his superb isolation, developed in the 19th century, or that of the modern painter before his time who questioned the definitions and theoretical limits of his art.

Based on the most recent works, on a comparative examination of the painter's practices and the artistic theories formulated in his time, and on a systematic confrontation of his works with those of his contemporaries, this book emphasizes, for the first time, the way in which the artist consciously built his career around the ambition to manufacture his own glory.

The thirty-seven paintings authenticated as being by the master's hand are meticulously analysed - including the famous Girl with a pearl earring, The Milkmaid and lesser-known works such as the Girl with a Red Hat - and accompanied by a magnificent iconography depicting the works and many of their details.