Jan Vermeer
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Jan Vermeer

Painter, art dealer, expert

Little is known about Vermeer’s life. He is born in Delft on October 31, 1632. His father is an innkeeper and weaver but also an art dealer with the Guild of St. Luke. There is no official information about Jan’s training but he must have received tuition from a master of the guild in Delft otherwise he wouldn’t be initiated in 1653.

He works mainly in Delft and chairs the guild periodically. He has 15 children with Catharina Bolnes and is able to support all of them. This isn’t something that all fathers can do at the time, which proves that he earns well. Probably not from painting alone, since, unlike a workshop artist who can create piece after piece, Vermeer only produces 37 paintings in total (around 2 a year).

Although he gets good money for the work he sells, he is also active as an art dealer and expert. The comfortable life his family enjoys is overturned in 1672 by the Franco-Dutch War. When Vermeer dies in Delft in 1675 he leaves so many debts that his widow is forced to pay the creditors with the paintings he leaves her.

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