Rijksmuseum's Vermeer Exhibition Draws Personal Reflection on Art's Relationship to Life

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam hosted a major exhibition from February through early June, gathering nearly all 30-odd paintings attributed to Johannes Vermeer. This unprecedented assembly allowed visitors to experience more works by the 17th-century Dutch master than ever before assembled. Vermeer, who lived and worked in Delft, balanced painting with running an inn, selling art by others, and raising his 11 children. His relatively small output includes iconic works like 'View of Delft' (c. 1660–61), 'The Milkmaid' (1657-58), and 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' (c. 1665). The exhibition featured Vermeer's two known exterior scenes—'The Little Street' (c. 1657–58) and 'View of Delft'—alongside his more characteristic interior compositions. These interiors, often set in the same room with checkered flooring and left-side windows, depict women engaged in ordinary activities like reading letters or playing music. Art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon described the cityscape in 'View of Delft' as resembling a heaven in his 2002 book 'Secret Lives of the Artists'. The writer Marcel Proust famously referenced this painting in 'In Search of Lost Time'. Vermeer's technique, possibly involving a camera obscura, creates a distinctive haziness in his figures. The exhibition attracted significant crowds, creating a bustling atmosphere within the museum galleries.