Vermeer's Milkmaid at the Met
Special Exhibit Celebrates 400th Anniversary of Dutch Voyage
Aug 19, 2009
From September 10 to November 29, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will present The Milkmaid along with five other Vermeer paintings from its own collection and paintings of select Dutch artists. This is the first time the painting has traveled to the United States since it was exhibited in New York for the 1939 World Fair.
The exhibit celebrates the 400th anniversary of the voyage of Henry Hudson, an English explorer hired by the Dutch East India Company, who explored the eastern coast of America while looking for a western route to the Orient. He is responsible for laying the foundation for New Netherland, a Dutch colony of the 17th century that included mid-Atlantic states such as New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut.
Painter of Young Women in Peaceful Settings
Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) is considered to be one of the greatest Dutch artists of the Dutch Golden Age. During this period, which roughly spans the 17th century, various aspects of society including science, art, social networks, religious tolerance, and commerce were considered the finest in Europe. Other artists of this age include Pieter de Hooch and Rembrandt.
Vermeer is perhaps most famous for his paintings of young women. The Girl With the Pearl Earring (1665), for example, is one of his representative works. His fame, however, is relatively recent-- his paintings were little known until about a century ago and only 36 are known to exist today. During his brief career, Vermeer sold his exquisite works to a small circle of discerning collectors in his native Delft, and in the neighboring court city of The Hague.The Milkmaid is dated between 1657-58, and was one of first of Vermeer's paintings to be purchased by collector Pieter van Ruijven. By 1670, van Ruijven owned 21 of Vermeer's works, which may explain why the artist was so little known outside of his area.
Exhibition Details
Along with the Milkmaid, this exhibition will include the Met Museum's five Vermeer paintings-- Young Woman with a Water Pitcher (ca. 1662), A Maid Asleep (ca. 1656–57), Study of a Young Woman (probably ca. 1665–67), Woman with a Lute (ca. 1662–1663), and Allegory of the Catholic Faith (ca. 1670).
There will also be a variety of educational programs, including "Vermeer: Art in the Making," a November 6 panel discussion in which Curator Walter Liedtke and Conservator Dorothy Mahon of the Metropolitan Museum will join curator Arthur Wheelock and research conservator Melanie Gifford from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, to discuss Vermeer's style and techniques. Additional programs include screenings of documentary films about the artist.
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