Vermeer - The Rijksmuseum's major exhibition catalogue

(Hardback)

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Description

PUBLISHED TO ACCOMPANY THE ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXHIBITION AT THE RIJKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM, THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR STUDY ON VERMEER'S LIFE AND WORK FOR MANY YEARS.

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'Proust was once so excited to see a Vermeer show that he collapsed ... I got chest pains merely leafing through the catalogue' Jonathan Jones, Guardian

'Invest in the fat catalogue, stuffed with scholarly discoveries and photographic closeups, and you will learn about everything from Vermeer's optical mastery to his moral symbolism' Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times

'Excellent' Artists & Illustrators

'Getting a ticket for the once-in-a-lifetime Vermeer exhibition, above, at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam this year might frankly be a bit of a challenge, but you can at least console yourself with the exhibition catalogue, published by Thames & Hudson, which is a gorgeous thing. Nothing matches seeing a painting in the flesh, but this comes mightily close.' The Herald

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Vermeer's intensely quiet and enigmatic paintings invite the viewer into a private world, often prompting more questions than answers. Who is being portrayed Are his subjects real or imagined And how did he create such an unrivalled sense of intimacy

Bringing together diverse strands of the Dutch master's professional and private worlds, this is the first major authoritative study of Vermeer's life and work for many years, throwing light on all thirty-seven of his paintings.

The book was designed by Irma Boom, the 'Queen of Books', and printed on an uncoated 'Munken Print White' paper, specially commissioned to ensure the veracity of colours. Irma Boom says: 'the matte paper brings you closer to Vermeer; there is no gloss or glare in between, just like with the real works.' With a wide selection of contextual illustrations, commentaries and up-to-date research by distinguished international Vermeer scholars, this is the definitive volume on the most admired of all seventeenth-century Dutch masters.

With contributions by
Bart Cornelis, National Gallery, London
Bente Frissen, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Sabine Pnot, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Pieter Roelofs, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Friederike Schuett, Staedel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Christian Tico Seifert, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh
Ariane van Suchtelen, Mauritshuis, The Hague
Gregor J.M. Weber, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Marjorie E. Wieseman, National Gallery of Art, Washington

Reviews

'Proust was once so excited to see a Vermeer show that he collapsed I got chest pains merely leafing through the catalogue' - Jonathan Jones, Guardian
'Invest in the fat catalogue, stuffed with scholarly discoveries and photographic closeups, and you will learn about everything from Vermeers optical mastery to his moral symbolism' - Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times
'Excellent' - Artists & Illustrators
'A gorgeous thing. Nothing matches seeing a painting in the flesh, but this comes mightily close' - Herald Scotland
'Immerses the reader in the immensely rich pictorial world of the master painter from Delft .. extraordinary close-up detail' - Art Mag
'A book to treasure' - The Prisma
'Comprehensive... Vermeer scholars...give insight into his life and influences while analyzing the paintings and their compositions in great detail... A feast for the yes as well as the mind... Worthy of any art history collection' - Library Journal

Author Bio

Both authors work at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Pieter Roelofs is Head of Paintings and Sculpture, and Gregor J. M. Weber is Head of the Department of Fine Arts.