News
New Research Suggests Vermeer Wasn't as Polished as People Assume
During the pandemic, researchers at the National Gallery of Art found out some interesting things when they scanned the Dutch artist's 17th-century paintings.
Johannes Vermeer
News
Vermeer Restoration, Finally Complete, Reveals a Painting Within a Painting
Conservators at Dresden's Old Masters Picture Gallery have uncovered a full-length cupid in Vermeer's "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window" — likely painted over by someone other than the artist.
News
The Most Valuable Stolen Artworks Across Time
On the anniversary of the Gardner Museum heist, learn more about the 10 most expensive missing artworks.
Art
The High Life of Vermeer and his Contemporaries
Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting reinserts Vermeer into the tradition in which he worked, both demystifying his paintings and lending force to his particular take on the genre.
In Brief
Gardner Museum Doubles Reward to $10M for Return of Art Stolen in 1990
The museum's board of trustees hopes the sum will lead to the return of the 13 works stolen in 1990, which are collectively valued at over $500 million.
In Brief
Louvre Security Staff Threaten To Strike as Blockbuster Vermeer Show Causes Disarray
Security workers at the museum plan to strike on Friday, citing "constant physical and verbal aggression" caused by the recent overcrowding.
Art
Lapis Lazuli: A Blue More Precious than Gold
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The first blue pigment to hold its color was often prized over gold. The semi-precious stone lapis lazuli was ground into an iridescent pigment, sometimes called ultramarine, that seemed to shine when applied to the canvas.
Books
Getting Closer to Vermeer with Three New Books on the Artist
Vermeer died twice. The first time was in 1675, after the Dutch art market collapsed.
Art
Class Disjunctions: Dutch Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Even to the trained eye, there is something unrelenting about most seventeenth-century Dutch art.
Art
The Painted Pantry of Vermeer's Milkmaid
At this very moment, Vermeer may be spinning like a lathe in his grave. Or, just maybe, he’s executing a slow, pleasurable shimmy. In either case, the proximate cause would be Walk-In Pantry, an installation at Fridman Gallery by the artist Summer Wheat.
Art
Fooling Around With Art History, on Lunch Break
When most people are bored at work, they surf Facebook. Not so with Francesco Fragomeni and Chris Limbrick, two employees at the website creation startup Squarespace who funneled their creative energy into photographic homages to the art historical canon.