Chasing Vermeer

Amazon.com

In the classic tradition of E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, debut author Blue Balliett introduces readers to another pair of precocious kids on an artful quest full of patterns, puzzles, and the power of blue M&Ms. Eleven year old Petra and Calder may be in the same sixth grade class, but they barely know each other. It's only after a near collision during a museum field trip that they discover their shared worship of art, their teacher Ms. Hussey, and the blue candy that doesn't melt in your hands. Their burgeoning friendship is strengthened when a creative thief steals a valuable Vermeer painting en route to Chicago, their home town. When the thief leaves a trail of public clues via the newspaper, Petra and Calder decide to try and recover the painting themselves. But tracking down the Vermeer isn't easy, as Calder and Petra try to figure out what a set of pentominos (mathematical puzzle pieces), a mysterious book about unexplainable phenomena and a suddenly very nervous Ms. Hussey have to do with a centuries old artwork. When the thief ups the ante by declaring that he or she may very well destroy the painting, the two friends know they have to make the pieces of the puzzle fit before it's too late!

Already being heralded as The DaVinci Code for kids, Chasing Vermeer will have middle grade readers scrutinizing art books as they try to solve the mystery along with Calder and Petra. In an added bonus, artist Brett Helquist has also hidden a secret pentomino message in several of the book's illustrations for readers to decode. An auspicious and wonderfully satisfying debut that will leave no young detective clueless. --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

When a book of unexplainable occurences brings Petra and Calder together, strange things start to happen: Seemingly unrelated events connect; an eccentric old woman seeks their company; an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has stumped even the FBI?

Customer Reviews:

5th Grade Class Review.......2007-09-17

We read Chasing Vermeer over the summer and here are some of our thoughts. We liked the book because it is a mystery with a good plot. Our eyes flew across the page like scurrying squirrels. The story has two kids who worked on solving the problem. The mystery really made you think, we even had to use math skills. Plus, the novel had really good art work.
However, the beginning of Chasing Vermeer is a little tough to follow and also very confusing. Another thing that we did not like was you had to figure out the codes. A silly complaint from of the class is that blue M&Ms are used instead of yellow because yellow M&Ms taste better!
In conclusion, the majority of the class would recommend this book to a friend. We enjoyed this book because we solved the mystery. We hope you read this book!!

Slow and Convoluted.......2007-08-08

The idea of the book was interesting, however the story progressed slowly-often repeating the same ideas. It was predictable all the way through. My sons ages 8 and 10 were bored by this story and wanted to stop reading it. I encouraged them to finish it because of the great reviews-I kept thinking it would get better but the story never did. There are more interesting mysteries out there. Not sure why this one received such high credits.

Excellent mystery.......2007-06-18

This novel is an engaging mystery that will hold students' interest from beginning to end. The story's main characters are two sixth grade students who don't quite fit in with their classmates. They become the best of friends through a series of coincidences and a common love of the unknown. They will easily connect students to the story, because they have common sixth grade problems. Their involvement with solving a mystery also will intrigue students. The story presents some information on Vermeer, and may inspire further research on this and other artists. It also presents a new way of thinking to students. Instead of always accepting what is obvious, the characters in the novel question and think on their own.

Mysteries, Friendship, and Art.......2007-06-17

This realistic contemporary fiction mystery book, written on a 5.4 reading level, is an engaging novel for middle school students to read and enjoy, and to use to develop deductive thinking skills. The continued emphasis on looking at familiar things differently, at the nature of coincidences, and piecing together details to make a whole, and then repositioning them to make new wholes, is thought-provoking and extremely well written. The author chose to write this novel using the third person point of view, which helps the reader attempt to solve the mystery by providing clues not known to the two protagonists, Petra and Calder. The illustrations are both an integral part of the mystery and a mystery on their own. The illustrator, Brett Helquist, who is also the illustrator for the Lemony Snicket books, has hidden a secret message in his drawings related to the pentominoes' code in the book. In addition, Helquist has sketched several of the Vermeer paintings so that readers can visualize them as they are mentioned, and done important, clue providing, drawings of the settings and the characters. The book ends with bibliographic information and interviews about both Blue Balliett and Brett Helquist for readers who are not willing to give this book up, and an excerpt from the sequel, The Wright 3. Young adults, and older adults, will enjoy this book.

great book, keeps me reading!.......2007-05-28

I am really enjoying Chasing Vermeer. I can't put it down. The story plot is really cool and it is so amazing how the characters unravel what is happening!I would totally recommend this book to kids who are interested in solving puzzles!

Average customer rating:

ISBN: 0894682199 is a better choice
Good brief volume
The best vermeer book.
Excellent value and beautiful prints
Vermeer -- and Delft

Vermeer: The Complete Works
Arthur K. Wheelock , and Johannes Vermeer
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0810927519

Customer Reviews:

ISBN: 0894682199 is a better choice.......2005-09-29

ISBN: 0894682199 is a better choice, because it was highly prized and awarded like no other book about Vermeer. Colors here are rendered not very accurately. This book, like others by Harry N Abrams, tends to show the light background in the upper left hand corner of the "Woman in Blue Reading a Letter" painting as light blue. In fact, that background is multicolored in a kind of pinkish summary tone. Similar problems have other pictures, though all Vermeer's paintings are reproduced as plates.

Good brief volume.......2005-08-26

A fine book on Vermeer with good repros and short but to the point commentary on each painting by the author. I've seen Vermeers in the Rijksmuseum in the original, and although no color plate can do justice to them, these are pretty decent. Vermeer's rich, saturated colors and use of transparent and translucent glazes are impossible to really reproduce in print, at least at a reasonable cost, not to mention his amazing treatment of specular highlights. But the plates in this book are still pretty good.

The book shows all known Vermeers, of which there are less than forty, usually with several paragraphs of commentary on each painting. The author does a good job of placing each painting in the context of Vermeer's overall oeuvre while discussing the painting's special or unique points. No doubt you'll recognize many of your favorite Vermeers here.

Vermeer's masters are still a mystery although Carel Fabritius, Rembrandt's most famous student, and others have been proposed, but without conclusive proof. We may never know who trained him, but one thing is for sure, early on after being certified as a master of the guild, Vermeer turned from the more dramatic subject of historical paintings to painting the intimate and understated works he's known for, in which people are treated almost like inanimate objects in a still life and the light permeates whole volumes of space with liquid effect. Forever a girl stands in front of a virginal, or pours milk from a pitcher, while the light dances and plays around her.

Someone once noted that Vermeer's spaces are quite empty and uncluttered, but this makes sense if you think about it. Since Vermeer was fascinated by light, and the way different surfaces and textures reflected light, Vermeer would not wish to clutter up any space and interfere with the propagation and reflection of light throughout the space. Vermeer was nothing if not a painter of light and lighting effects which he treated more like a dynamic and fluid medium which literally molded the space it touched rather than simple lighting in that sense.

Vermeer also often liked to pose his models playing musical instruments or reading letters, using the act of reading a private communication to create a more intimate mood or identification with the person.

The author also provides a brief introduction and history of Vermeer's life and work, which is about five pages long in this large paperback format, so it's probably more like ten pages in a normal book. Overall, a brief but very well done book on Vermeer.

The best vermeer book........2005-07-30

If you're looking for a vermeer book, this is definitely the one to go for. It has everything: LARGE, beautiful, full color reproductions of all of Vermeer's work, a biography of his life, and very good commentaries on each painting. Plus, it's affordable. Highly recommended.

Excellent value and beautiful prints.......2005-07-09

a wonderful coffee table book that I turn to often

Vermeer -- and Delft.......2002-06-08

The best art history tells us not only about the painter and the paint, but the surrounding events of life and the world as well. Since so little is known of Vermeer himself, the city of Delft, on which this book focuses so much attention, truly becomes the central character. We cannot know Vermeer, but we can know his daily life. This is a marvelously researched if somewhat dryly presented history that should set a bench mark for the popular study of popular artists.

Average customer rating:

Better than the average but still not the definite book on Vermeer
A 17th century artist who is perfect for our time
Lavishly illustrated with excellent reproductions
Very Beautiful Book & definitely worth the Price.
An essential book for art lovers!

Johannes Vermeer
Arthur K. Wheelock , and Ben Broos
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300065582

Book Description

In this strikingly beautiful book, leading Vermeer scholars examine the life and works of this seventeenth-century Dutch master, analyzing his evolution from a painter of religious and mythological images to an artist who explored the psychological nuances of human endeavor.

Customer Reviews:

Better than the average but still not the definite book on Vermeer.......2006-07-10

It is a nice book but the quality of the reproductions is poor.

A 17th century artist who is perfect for our time.......2006-01-18

This book accompanied the legendary 1995-96 Vermeer show at the National Gallery in Washington D.C. that found itself caught up in the Gingrich - Clinton shutting-down-the-government imbroglio. Remember now? Vermeer has grown in popularity and in public awareness since this show. Recently, a totally fictitious movie was made around his paintings. It was named after the painting that became the focus of the movie, "The Girl With a Pearl Earring". It was a good story, but had nothing to do with the real people involved because we simply do not know. There are only a few dozen paintings by the artist still extant, but they all are wonderful and attract modern sensibilities because of their lines and perfect artificiality and their perfect reality. They present the exact kind of contradiction and puzzles we love nowadays, and because there are only a few dozen, the dilettante can study each of them in detail without becoming overwhelmed.

This book has four fine papers that discuss aspects of what we know about the artist and his work. There is also a chronology and the catalogue of the exhibition, which had a very large sampling of the known paintings. The reproductions are fabulous including the details and the smaller reproduction of contemporary paintings with similar subjects by other artists.

Excellent book to have on your shelf. It is always pleasant to gaze into these 17th century paintings and notice things and then notice new things.

Lavishly illustrated with excellent reproductions.......2005-09-29

This paperback edition ISBN: 0894682199 (also as clothbound under ISBN: 0300065582) by Johannes Vermeer (Contributors: Ben Broos and Arthur K. Wheelock, Jr. with Albert Blankert and Jorgen Wadum; Editor: Arthur K. Wheelock, Jr.) is a lavishly illustrated catalog with excellent reproductions for the first exhibition devoted solely to the works of Johannes Vermeer--the 17th-century Dutch painter who explored the psychological nuances of human endeavor--opening at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in November 1995 (Royal Cabinet of Paintings Mauritshuis, the Hague, in March 1996). 232 pp., 127 illustrations including 60 color plates, 12.0 x 9.5 x 0.75 inches. ISBN: 061350710X is an entirely different book for children not even close to this one.

Very Beautiful Book & definitely worth the Price. .......2005-01-30

I never knew who Johannes Vermeer was until i saw Girl with a Pearl Earring the movie. I don't know a thing about art but this book has history on the artist, the art times in Delft Holland, and the paintings that Mr. Vermeer did when he lived. I think this book is very beautiful and if anyone wants to know something on the subject of art then i would tell you to actually get this. Use this book as your introduction into the art world/history; the subject. 40 dollars may seem like alot of money for anyone but this is worth the investment. Yes, the book contains many pictures-it too has the one titled, "Girl with a Pearl Earring." I try to use this book for inspiration; i recommend this 100% percent.

An essential book for art lovers!.......2002-04-20

I was fortunate enough to have seen the now-legendary Vermeer exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. during the winter of 1995-96. 21 out of the 35 (or 36) extant paintings by Vermeer were included in the show, offering a unique opportunity to see the bulk of Vermeer's amazing works in a single space, something that no one has experienced since 1696, when @20 of his paintings were auctioned in Delft. Given the rarity and fragility of Vermeer's works, it is unlikely that such an event will ever be repeated. All who were unable to make it to the show, however, have this splendid book as a document of this unique event. This book will remain the standard work on Vermeer for many decades, and represents the fruit of several years' labor by art historians on two continents. Because so little is in fact known about Vermeer the man (in truth, we have no idea at all what Vermeer's education, interests, and personality were like), the catalogue essays fill this gap by contextualizing Vermeer's work within the history of Dutch painting, the development of perspective, and the fascinating tale of Vermeer's "rediscovery" in the 19th century and his richly-deserved rise to worldwide fame. The essays and catalogue entries may be too technical for some readers, as the authors have expended a lot of effort to reconstruct Vermeer's exact technique, something which can only be gleaned from careful study of the paintings themselves (no drawings by Vermeer have survived, nor have any statements he may have made about painting). This extensive scholarly apparatus, while illuminating and occasionally even riveting (the essay dealing with Vermeer's rediscovery is a great detective narrative!), tends to obscure the strange, even uncanny emotional charge that his images are suffused with. Vermeer's personal world - so limited in content yet unforgettably haunting and evocative - is one of stillness and peace suffused with tension. Each image contains remarkable spatial and temporal ambiguities that make simple scenes like a lady writing a letter while her maid looks away or two people standing near a piano (The Music Lesson) vibrate with dramatic tension. Sadly, the somewhat passionless writing encases the pictures (all of which are superbly reproduced) in a rhetoric that does not address the fundamental issue: What is it about these paintings that is so powerful that their maker was rescued from total obscurity and has inspired poetry, novels and countless studies? I was hoping to find some discussion of the psychological meaning of these images, but the traditional (overly scholarly and dry) art history within did nothing to help me understand my passion for the "Sphinx of Delft." That said, the book is a masterpiece of empirical research on the artist (barring some new discovery, it is unlikely that we will ever have any more facts about Vermeer and his world than can be read here), exquisitely designed, and distinguished with beautiful reproductions. The volume is certainly one of the few bestsellers in the field of the art book - when I attended the show, the paperback print of the book was totally sold out and the hardcover was flying off the shelves (it is odd that the book has not been reprinted in paperback). Johannes Vermeer is THE text to have on this artist and is unlikely to be superseded anytime soon. Immerse yourself in Vermeer's world and you will be transformed. Seeing this exhibition changed my life, and I treasure this book as a means of recapturing the awe and joy that overwhelmed me at the time. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I have.

Vermeer's Camera: Uncovering the Truth behind the Masterpieces

Average customer rating:

Well researched and tolerably convincing
Interesting, scholarly study
A Detective Story for Vermeer Lovers
Did He or Didn't He?

Vermeer's Camera: Uncovering the Truth behind the Masterpieces
Philip Steadman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192803026

Amazon.com

Philip Steadman's remarkable book Vermeer's Camera cracks an artistic enigma that has haunted art history for centuries. Over the years, artists and art historians have marveled at the extraordinary visual realism of the paintings of the 17th-century Dutch painter Jan Vermeer. The painter's spectacular View of Delft, painted around 1661, and the beautiful domestic interior The Music Lesson seem almost photographic in their incredible detail and precise perspective. Since the 19th century, experts have speculated that Vermeer used a camera obscura, an early precursor of the modern camera. However, conclusive proof was never discovered, until now. In Vermeer's Camera, Steadman proves that Vermeer did indeed use a camera obscura to complete his greatest canvases. Part art-historical study, part scientific argument, but mainly a fascinating detective story, Vermeer's Camera argues:

Vermeer had a camera obscura with a lens at the painting's viewpoint. He used this arrangement to project the scene onto the back wall of the room, which thus served as the camera's screen. He put paper on the wall and traced, perhaps even painted from the projected image. It is because Vermeer traced these images that they are the same size as the paintings themselves.

Steadman painstakingly develops his argument through careful study of the history of the camera obscura, an exploration of 17th-century optics, and a detailed study of the light, optics, perspective, and measurement of a series of Vermeer's paintings. He goes to remarkable lengths to reconstruct Vermeer's studio and its furnishings, down to the angle of the light from its windows. The science is complex, but always clearly explained. This is not an attempt to reveal Vermeer as an artistic "cheat." Steadman convincingly argues that "Vermeer's obsessions with light, tonal values, shadow, and colour, for the treatment of which his work is so admired, are very closely bound up with his study of the special qualities of optical images." Vermeer's Camera is a wonderful book that shows the ways in which, during the 17th century, art and science went hand in hand. It offers an enlarged, rather than reduced, perspective on Vermeer. --Jerry Brotton. Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Over 100 years of speculation and controversy surround claims that the great seventeenth-century Dutch artist, Johannes Vermeer, used the camera obscura to create some of the most famous images in Western art. This intellectual detective story starts by exploring Vermeer's possible knowledge of seventeenth-century optical science, and outlines the history of this early version of the photographic camera, which projected an accurate image for artists to trace. However, it is Steadman's meticulous reconstruction of the artist's studio, complete with a camera obscura, which provides exciting new evidence to support the view that Vermeer did indeed use the camera. These findings do not challenge Vermeer's genius but show how, like many artists, he experimented with new technology to develop his style and choice of subject matter. The combination of detailed research and a wide range of contemporary illustrations offers a fascinating glimpse into a time of great scientific and cultural innovation and achievement in Europe.

Customer Reviews:

Well researched and tolerably convincing.......2006-06-30

This is a very well researched book. The author has taken great pains to measure and analyze Vermeer's paintings, finding a striking feature that many of them, when back-projected through the perspective view point at the size of the painting, imply a consistent location of a back wall to the common room used in the pictures. The author asserts that the only reasonable explanation for this coincidence is that Vermeer used a camera obscura for at least some of the layout of his paintings.

This comes off as very plausible, though the analysis is limited to paintings that include a tiled floor. It would have been interesting to see this work extended through photogrammetry of objects of known sizes in the paintings (chairs, musical instruments, etc) and applied to more of the paintings.

I think the only real failing in the argument is that Vermeer could have could have had the skill to paint perspective of this quality, and therefore not needed the aid of a camera. As pointed out in the text, he was not bound to perfect accuracy; there are some deviations.

Interesting, scholarly study.......2005-03-22

Did Vermeer use optical aids, like a camera obscura, in crafting his wonderful paintings: yes or no?

That is the question being asked here. This is a technical question, only, it adds or detracts nothing in Vermeer's ouvre and career either way. It's and interesting question though, and even an important one. What choices did Vermeer make in achieving greatness?

Steadman convincingly argues that Vermeer very likely used a camera obscura, in one form or another, in creating many of his paintings. This work starts with a thorough discussion of the inconclusive written records. Vermeer was certainly contemporary to people like van Leeuwenhoek, who pioneered microscopy, even lived in the same city at the same time. He had long exposure to trades where lenses were used regularly, and lived in a time when lenses were available commercially. All that is circumstantial and, unlike other authors, Steadman declines to read more into available facts than they said in the first place.

His real contribution is in his detailed analyses of Vermeer's paintings and their geometries, and in actual reconstructions of the rooms Vermeer portrayed and tools he might have used. This is the scientific method at work: present a falsifiable hypothesis, and create an experiment that confirms or denies it. "Is shadow in 'The Music Lesson' a credible, literal rendering of an actual scene?" His experiments from the late 80s, rebuilding rooms that match Vermeer's says "Yes." This is a delightful contrast to armchair guesswork by others, such as Wheelock, who never really checked but thought the shadows looked false.

This is a worthwhile historical and technical achievement, partially funded by the BBC for a TV special in 1989. It also stands in clear contrast to Hockney's later work on much the same question, "Secret Knowledge." Hockney asked, as an artist, do these tools give me the experience captured in the old masters' art? His answer, achieved by personal immersion, was also "Yes." I respect Steadman's rigor as a historian and experimentalist, but this work comes off a bit dry compared to Hockney's first-person report.

It's an interesting book on an artist about whom maddeningly little is known. It's thorough, and gives future art historians a very high bar to clear. If not for the hands-on liveliness of Hockney's book, I might have ranked this one even higher.

//wiredweird

A Detective Story for Vermeer Lovers.......2004-05-25

This treasure is actually a mystery novel in the guise of an art book! Steadman cleverly examines the long-held debate over Vermeer's alleged use of camera-like inventions to help create his masterworks. He does so by constructing models of the rooms, examining long-overlooked clues and engaging in some very pragmatic thinking. At times Steadman almost comes across as art history's answer to Lt. Colombo, which is a compliment. This is a very readable and enjoyable book for any art lover who also loves a good mystery, brain teasers, and practical application of optics. My only quibble is that additional illustrations and plates would have helped Steadman make his point better.

Did He or Didn't He?.......2001-07-27

Did the famous Delft artist, Johannes Vermeer, use the camera obscura to create his remarkably photographic paintings? People have been asking that question for a century or more. To help answer it, Philip Steadman has written this great little book. It is truly an enjoyable investigation of Vermeer's acquaintances, studio, and style. My favorite parts of the book are Steadman's photographic reconstructions of Vermeer's paintings. Did Vermeer use the camera? If he did, would that make him an artistic cheat or a visionary? I like a book that leaves me with some things to think about, and this one does the job.

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Vermeer (Basic Art)
amazing reproductions and text
A succinct but dazzling portfolio of Vermeer

Vermeer (Basic Art)
Norbert Schneider
Manufacturer: Taschen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 3822863238

Customer Reviews:

Vermeer (Basic Art).......2006-03-14

i am enjoying the book, however, I expected a bigger size book, because the photografs look better.

Thank you four your attention.

amazing reproductions and text.......2005-01-05

This little book is amazing! The author discusses each of Vermeer's known 35 paintings, bringing intelligence and insight to the artist and his works. Though not much is known about Vermeer's life, we learn a fair amount about his techniques and the influences from which he drew. I found it extremely impressive and useful that when the author mentioned another artist or a painting that Vermeer knew, these were also pictured, so that I really learned a great deal about this fascinating artist's time as well.

All of Vermeer's paintings are shown, as are the works of other artists, and these are reproduced in color in combination with intelligent, informative notes.

Extremely well done, with beautiful color reproductions of each painting, this volume would be a bargain at double the price!

A succinct but dazzling portfolio of Vermeer.......2003-11-18

Norbert Schneider has written many excellent books on art and among them is this small volume in which he addresses ALL of the paintings of Vermeer. Though the book is short (96 pages) it mirrors the output of the artist - he only painted thirty five works! Schneider's commentary is intelligent, brief, and in obvious adoration of the Dutch School of painting and Vermeer in particular. Not only is each painting reproduced with surprising accuracy of color and clarity, but Schneider provides many details of each work, opening the Pandora's box of each of these little masterpieces with microscopic precision. As is gratefully the tradition at Taschen Books, the price is so affordable that in addition to adding to your own library, this very special art book can be an elegant and dignified gift for your friends!

Average customer rating:

There is a Vermeer book for less money that will be better for most readers
11 year old didn't like this book
Not recommended

Vermeer and the Art of Painting
Arthur K. Wheelock
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Johannes Vermeer

ASIN: 0300062397

Book Description

The exquisite paintings of Jan Vermeer, with their luminous colors and gradations of reflected light, are admired by art lovers everywhere. This lovely book examines the creative process and technical means by which the great seventeenth-century Dutch painter achieved his remarkable pictorial effects.

Customer Reviews:

There is a Vermeer book for less money that will be better for most readers.......2007-01-06

My low rating is not intended to suggest that this is a BAD book. It is just that most persons who would benefit from reading this volume would benefit much more by instead reading the more comprehensive and less expensive "Johannes Vermeer" (hardcover ISBN 0300065582, softcover ISBN 0894682199, with 'The Geographer' on the cover), the book that accompanied the 1995-96 Vermeer exhibition at the National Gallery of Art (NGA).

If one wants perspective on 17th-century Delft and the art of that era which influenced Vermeer, and on Vermeer's chronology (to the extent it's known), the NGA book presents this much better in it's initial series of essays by experts than does "Vermeer and the Art of Painting". If one wants large, high-quality color plates of all 36 of Vermeer's attributed paintings with analysis of each, the NGA book is far superior (with detailed, multi-page analysis of each of the 23 paintings that were in the exhibit, and lesser discussion in the essays of the 13 that weren't). By comparison, "Art of Painting" covers only 16 of his works in detail (but does show all 36 in black and white, without discussion, in its catalogue at the end).

The title of this book (".. and the Art of Painting") suggests that this book gets more into the technical aspects of Vermeer's style and method, of interest to more serious students of Vermeer. And, in fact, for the 16 paintings covered in detail in this book, the discussion of Vermeer's style and method does get a bit more technical than in the corresponding detailed multi-page write-ups in the NGA book (although the NGA book by no means ignores these technical issues).

In summary, if you want to establish an exhaustive library on Vermeer, this book will offer some incremental additional technical information on SOME of his paintings, beyond what is in the NGA volume. However, for readers who are looking for the single best definitive volume on Vermeer at reasonable cost, the comprehensive NGA book is the best choice, hands down. In no case would the "Art of Painting" be a suitable SUBSTITUTE for the NGA volume.

11 year old didn't like this book.......2002-07-28

i didnt perticuarly like this book.vermeer is a great artist and they didnt put many illustrations of his work.it was very informative yet not a very good book, it was boring.

Not recommended.......2002-06-25

As a book that claims to shed light on Vermeers painting techniques, I found 'V & the art of Painting' pretty disappointing. Arthur Wheelock appears to be well established in the role of art critic and researcher and this perspective comes across strongly throughout the book. However there were few illustrations and the actual information on painting techniques covered in this book, appeared to me to be largely stating the obvious.
I don't think you could fault the author's background research on Vemeer and his work, but I wouldn't recommend this book to any artist or student trying to discover Vermeer's actual painting methods.

Average customer rating:

Vermeer and His Milieu
John Michael Montias
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691002894

Book Description

This book is not only a fascinating biography of one of the greatest painters of the seventeenth century but also a social history of the colorful extended family to which he belonged.

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Vermeer And Plato: Painting The Ideal
Robert D. Huerta
Manufacturer: Bucknell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0838756069

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From the Book Jacket

Vermeer
Lawrence Gowing
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520212762

Book Description

Lawrence Gowing's classic study has long been treasured for the painterly sensibilities he brought to this greatly loved body of work. Finally the text is available again, with a new foreword and fresh reproductions of Vermeer's paintings.

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From the Book Jacket.......2005-04-23

While only 35 paintings can be ascribed to Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), he is considered one of the most important painters in history. Vermeer captured the subtle depth of his subjects while in private contemplations, and recorded the delicacy of light and richness of color in a way that has probably never been surprised.

This luscious volume, with over 80 illustrations-including 54 full-color plates-presents Vermeer's complete illustrious works. From his much-loved Girl With A Pearl Earring to his cityscape The View of Delft (which Marcel Proust lauded as `the most beautiful painting the world'), you'll find them all here and be astounded by Vermeer's innovative technique and mastery of perspective and composition. As a supplement to Vermeer's magnificent works, art historian Dr. Erik Larsen provides an authoritative study of the artist's life and art, and the much-discussed debate surrounding the attribution of his paintings.

Vermeer, one of the first four titles in the Master Artists Library series, is the first series to include magnificent color reproductions of every painting by the featured artist. Written by some of the world's most important art historians, each volume includes a detailed analysis of the artist's paintings, along with an extensive biography. The first four books-Vermeer, Bosch, Masaccio, and Dûrer-are must-have additions to the bookshelves of all art love

Johannes Vermeer (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

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Johannes Vermeer (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)
Mike Venezia
Manufacturer: Children's Press (CT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0516269992

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