Vermeer

This book presents a dramatic new interpretation of Johannes Vermeer's life and work, drawing on freshly uncovered evidence from Dutch archives.

It depicts Vermeer as a pioneer of the early Enlightenment, deeply affected by wars and religious conflicts, allied to a radical underground movement, and painting most of his works as devotional pictures for a group led by his chief patron, a woman in Delft.

Rich with descriptions of his sublime paintings, it addresses why he painted them and what they mean, upending his enigmatic reputation.