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Woman Writing a Letter, with her Maid

Johannes Vermeer · c. 1670

Johannes Vermeer: 1632–1675

Selected works

5 records · choose a work for details
Dutch Golden Age paintingNetherlands
Other names (39)

de Delfet Vander-Meer, de Delfsche vander Meer, De Delfsche van der Meer, de Delftsche van der Meer, de Delft Vander Méer, de Delfze van der Meer, Delfsche van der Meer, Delfter Vermeer, Delftsche Vermeer, De Meere, Der Delftsche v. d. Neer, Ĭokhannes Vermer, Ĭokhannes Vermer Delftskiĭ, jan der meer, Jan Reyniersz Vermeer van Delft, Jan van Der Meer, jan van der meer der altere, Jan Van der Meer van Delft, Jan Vermeer de Delft, Jan Vermeer Delft, Jan Vermeer of Delft, jan vermeer of haarlem, Johannes Schwartz, Johannes van Delft Vermeer, J. vander Meer van Delft, J. Vermeer of Delft, of Delft Van der Meer, of Delft V. der Meer, van der Meer, Vandermeer de Delft, Van der Meer de Delft, Vander Meer de Delft, vander Meer van Delft, Van der, of Delft Meer, V. D. Meer, ver meer, vermeer of haarlem, Vermeer van Delft, Vermeer van van Delft

Johannes Vermeer lived and worked in Delft, where he joined the painters' guild as a master in 1653. His relatively small surviving body of work includes religious subjects, domestic interiors and allegories. Carefully directed light and measured arrangements of figures and objects give many of these paintings an intimate character. His early work shows affinities with the Utrecht followers of Caravaggio, although the details of his own training remain uncertain. Artline does not treat a proposed teacher as an established fact. The selected museum paintings include women engaged in everyday activities, a study of a young woman and a religious allegory.

Influenced by

  • Utrecht followers of Caravaggioscholarly consensus
    Evidence

    The National Gallery identifies the influence of Caravaggio’s Utrecht followers on Vermeer’s early work. His apprenticeship and possible teachers remain uncertain.

    • National Gallery, Londoninfluences

      The National Gallery identifies the influence of Caravaggio’s Utrecht followers on Vermeer’s early work. His apprenticeship and possible teachers remain uncertain.

Later influence

Connections are still being researched.

Sources & research notes 15
  • Wikidata (CC0)authority enrichment

    Wikidata CC0: aliases, short description and non-deprecated P135 movement associations. No influence claims inferred. Review required.

  • Austrian museum collections: independent authority researchauthority identity and dates

    See the linked source for supporting information.

  • National Gallery, Londonbiography

    Original concise biography based on this museum account, with observations about Artline’s selected works.

  • National Gallery of Artcatalogue authority

    NGA stable constituent ID 1951; source display: Dutch, 1632 - 1675. Existing editorial identity and biography retained; new activity interval uses dated selected works, not invented life dates.

  • National Gallery, Londongeography

    Geographic affiliations reviewed against the museum biography; country labels are modern reference geography, not claims of historical citizenship.

  • Museum authority country reviewgeography

    Country affiliation: Netherlands (NL).

  • National Gallery, Londonidentity

    Artist identity reviewed against this museum biography.

  • Pantheon 2025 — Datawheel (CC BY-SA 4.0)identity

    Pantheon 2025 by Datawheel, CC BY-SA 4.0; Yu et al. (2016), Scientific Data 2:150075, doi:10.1038/sdata.2015.75. Adapted selection ranked by HPI; popularity is not artistic quality. Source dates are not independently reviewed; existing editorial dates are preserved.

  • National Gallery, Londonmovements

    Primary movement is an editorial classification within Artline’s existing taxonomy, informed by this account of the artist’s period and practice.

  • Museum authority country reviewmuseum country review 20260913

    Country affiliation: Netherlands (NL).

  • Pantheon 2025 — Datawheel (CC BY-SA 4.0)ranking

    Pantheon 2025 by Datawheel, CC BY-SA 4.0; Yu et al. (2016), Scientific Data 2:150075, doi:10.1038/sdata.2015.75. Adapted selection ranked by HPI; popularity is not artistic quality. Source dates are not independently reviewed; existing editorial dates are preserved.

  • Expanded artwork research — official museum evidenceround2 creator authority

    Museum creator: Johannes Vermeer; source biography: unknown–unknown; identity basis: museum_authority_or_wikidata_id; source facts preserved in research_artwork_enrichments.

  • Austrian museum collections: independent authority researchsource cultural country affiliation

    See the linked source for supporting information.

  • National Gallery, Londontimeline dates

    Life dates reviewed; approximate or uncertain dates remain qualified.

  • Pantheon 2025 — Datawheel (CC BY-SA 4.0)timeline dates

    Pantheon 2025 by Datawheel, CC BY-SA 4.0; Yu et al. (2016), Scientific Data 2:150075, doi:10.1038/sdata.2015.75. Adapted selection ranked by HPI; popularity is not artistic quality. Source dates are not independently reviewed; existing editorial dates are preserved.