Francisco Jarauta decodes Vermeer's visual grammar at festivalfilosofia Modena

Philosopher Francisco Jarauta will deliver a lecture titled 'I mondi di Vermeer. Il linguaggio delle immagini' at the festivalfilosofia in Modena on September 16, 2023, at 20:30 at the Tenda di Piazzale Avanzini in Sassuolo. The lecture explores the figurative grammar of Johannes Vermeer, drawing parallels between 17th-century Dutch painting and linguistic classification, as noted by Michel Foucault in 'The Order of Things'. Jarauta focuses on Vermeer's complementary paintings 'The Geographer' (1668-1669) and 'The Astronomer' (1668), which depict the intellectual curiosity of the Dutch Golden Age. He identifies Anthony van Leeuwenhoek, the Delft microscopist and Vermeer's friend, as the model for both figures. The paintings reflect the era's cartographic advancements, with maps by Willem Jansz and a globe by Jodocus Hondt appearing in the works. Jarauta argues that Vermeer's art captures both the everyday life of Delft and a transcendent 'other worlds' possible through knowledge and exploration. The lecture is part of the festival's theme on 'the word' and anticipates the broader discussion on the relationship between image and language.