Vermeer (Basic Art)

I started off with David Hockney's fascinating book,  Secret Knowledge (New and Expanded Edition): Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters  where the celebrated artist shows and explains how during a certain period, artists undoubtedly used optic tools to aid in their painting.After Hockney whetted my appetite, I bought the engaging DVD,  Tim's Vermeer [DVD] [2014 ], where Tim Denison, successful inventor but not a painter, uses optics to re-create a Vermeer painting.This lead me to buy this book by Norbert Schneider, in the Taschen Basic Art Series. Please don't be put off by this book because it's one of series on different painters. I really enjoyed it, and it covers a lot of territory.Starting off with Vermeer's bio. He only painted two oil paintings a year, not nearly enough to make a living. His real money came from a wealthy mother-in-law and work as an art dealer. This book is unequivocal that Vermeer used optical equipment: "We now know that Vermeer used a camera obscura for most of his paintings. What is more, far from hiding the effects of the instrument, such as unfocused outlines and the famous pointillist dots of light, he drew attention to them."This book is full of interesting information, and it is told without jargon or tedium. For example, Vermeer made use of "cavis interpretandi". This is a painting on the background wall of a scene, not the main focus, but it gives us a clue as to how to interpret the scene depicted.Vermeer's paintings have been studied minutely. To the point of, for example, we know exactly which globe (what brand and model, to put it in modern terms) was used as a prop in his painting "The Astronomer".This book is chock full of photos. Vermeer's works are presented, mostly in full page photos. That includes "The Concert", which can only be viewed in photos now, as it was stolen from the Gardner Museum (see the incredible story in the DVD  Art of the Heist ).There are also 14 full page photos of details in Vermeer's paintings, and 9 more smaller detail photos. There are also 22 small photos of non-Vermeer contemporary paintings for comparison purposes.Norbert Schneider's book on Vermeer is perfect for someone who is not an art historian and just wants to learn about the works of the "master of light".Happy Reader

Wonderful balance of pictures and information. Love this book and of course Vemeer.

The price for this is great, but the quality of the prints were quite lacking. I've seen some of these in person a museums around the world and was amazed by the detail -- you will not get that feeling from looking at thes fuzzy prints in this book.

To see this great artist in face to face or reproduction, is a thing of beauty. Wish there were more than 30 of his paintings known!

This book is beautiful, and such a blessing for my father - He was a professional artist and painter for many years, and loved Vermeer. Now he has dementia, and is not very responsive to most things. But he has been emersed in this book, looking at the pictures, reading the text, and talking about it! Amazing! I know it is very difficult to reproduce Vermeers faithfully, but this book really does a good job, and for the money, it's incredible... Thank you!

I love Vermeer as an artist....his use of light in exquisite interiors and the beautiful people placed in those exquisite interiors is a delight frozen in time for the delight of all. If nothing else this book is a feast for the eyes. I highly recommend that this book sits upon your coffee table to enrich your families appreciation of fine art and to impress your friends and guests. An excellent buy!

I love these Taschen books. They are very well written and are well illustrated. The printing quality is excellent. Not terribly in-depth but a great read on a summary level.

I was looking forward to this book based on the reviews, but I was disappointed. Though the book seems to include all of Vermeer's work, it does so in a very scattered fashion, mixed with other artists' works, furthermore, obliterated by them, with the full list of works sorely missing. Paralells to similar works by other artists can be very useful if done correctly, but I found the comparisons in this book to be distracting, confusing and even annoying. The full images of paintings and their details are often separated, and I had to go back and forth between several pages when trying to examine one painting. The text is dry, poorly edited, with too much information and not enough insight. Not deserving of the high rating it got.

The illustrations in this book were for the most part full page and decent resolution. Also a good historical overview of each painting and what is know of Vermeer’s life.

Where would we art lovers be without such publishers as Taschen? Their Basic Art Series is perfect beyond words, and the price is ridiculously low. So it is in the case of Vermeer. What to say about the most subtle and sophisticated painter of western culture? Rembrandt might be drama and emotion, and he certainly is, but Vermeer is beauty and intimacy. He freezes time like no other artist (makes me think of the most profound preludes by Bach), and silence is so loud in his paintings that I cannot hear anything else. With each and every one of his paintings he teaches us to pay attention to every day reality, because every moment of time is sacred. His Milkmaid pouring milk is just as sacred in doing her job as Holy Mary will ever be. And then, there is the psychological accuracy in his work as well. The Letter Reader immersed in reading the letter conveys the feeling of eternity through an ordinary moment of every day life. Just how immersed she is! Not to mention the posture and the glance of the Girl with the Pearl Earing, the painting which is justifiably called the Dutch Mona Lisa. Such category as the greatest painter of all time might be unrealistic, for there are so many who deserve that title, but in terms of skill, of handling the light and shade, the colours and sophistication, Vermeer is prominent. He is the man with a photographic eye. Five stars for the quality of reproductions and for everything else!

Excelente contenido.

This book was awesome.it's condition excellent.Taschen besic art series was very interesting and enjoyable.their El Greco, Friedrich, Caravaggio,Holbein,Rodin,Turner in my on collection.and all books was very fine.it's price also under my budget. I think every art lover love this nice book about great Vermeer.

Taschen siempre es una buena opción para aprender una información básica de cada artista o movimiento