Vermeer and Velaszuez

Velasquez’ Las Meninas, an oil on canvas, shows us how he used the brushstrokes to add texture and highlight his work. Another work of art by Velasquez was The Surrendur of Breda, in 1653. The realistic quality of Vermeer’s work closely relates to the use of wide-angle lenses and telescopic lenses, such as those later used in photography. These included Christ Among the Doctors and Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery. This was a popular theme at the time and each artist could have been influenced by their respective guilds, whose artists’ may have visited Italy and copied similar works. These spiritual undertones show Vermeer’s skill at using realism to communicate religious piety. The woman wears no jewelry and is dressed respectably, indicating her awareness of this truth. On the left is Vermeer smiling and raising a glass as if to make a joke or make light of what is going on around him. 4 Vermeer’s training is less clear. If a mirror, are they the subjects whom Velasquez is painting, or are they observers watching their daughter being painted? This painting brings to mind Jan van Eyck’s The Arnolfini Wedding Portrait of 1434, in which a convex mirror behind a bride and groom reflects observers of the wedding. Van Meegeren did this to retaliate against the art critics who had denied his own works had any artistic value. Often a student might outdo his or her teacher, however, Pacheco gained inspiration and learning from his student, Velasquez. Although Velasquez gained greater fame during his own life, the works of Vermeer were also noted, albeit often erroneously attributed to other artists. The paintings on the wall are replicas of Flemish works by the artist’s son-in-law, Mazo. There are several possibilities given, including Hendrik ter Brugghen in Utrecht, where Vermeer’s mother-in-law had family connections.