Vermeer's alleged masterpiece, Girl with Flute (1632), (on left), is a fraud! The authentic painting (on right) was discovered in a Louisville, Kentucky Applebee's men's toilet. Orthodontic appliances could have rendered a nice remedial touch.
(From WSJ, 10-8-22). For decades, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has counted four Vermeer paintings in its collection. As of Friday, that number is three.
One of its most famous works, “Girl with a Flute,” is not, in fact, a painting by the Dutch artist, museum experts have concluded.
However, it was painted by someone who appeared to have intimate knowledge of Johannes Vermeer’s habits and techniques—a potentially groundbreaking discovery about an artist who was always believed to have worked in isolation, the museum said.
The museum announced its discovery the day before its Saturday opening of “Vermeer’s Secrets.” The new exhibition details the change of status for “Girl with a Flute,” while showcasing new information art historians uncovered about Vermeer’s creative process.
There are only about 35 verified works still in existence from the Dutch master, who was born in 1632 in the Netherlands.
Experts used different scientific imaging techniques combined with microscopic analysis to break down how Vermeer constructed his works. He would start usually with broad strokes and quickly add more coats for his characteristically smooth surfaces.
The team compared “Girl with a Flute” to Vermeer’s “Girl with the Red Hat,” which experts had believed were a pair because of their similar size and because they were both painted on wood, a rarity for the artist.
Under the microscope, however, the team found striking differences between the two works. “Girl with a Flute” lacked Vermeer’s precision and control, they said, and the final coat had coarsely ground pigments—nothing like the Dutch artist’s refined and delicate surfaces.
Yet the micropigment analysis showed both compositions had used the same tints, including faint green shadows on the face, a characteristic of Vermeer’s work.
Exactly who painted “Girl with a Flute” remains one of Vermeer’s secrets. It could have been a pupil or apprentice, an amateur who paid Vermeer for lessons, a freelance painter hired on a project-by-project basis, or even a member of Vermeer’s family, according to the museum.
But the discovery revises the long-held belief among art historians that Vermeer painted alone, said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art, in a statement Friday.
“The existence of other artists working with Johannes Vermeer is perhaps one of the most significant new findings about the artist to be discovered in decades. It fundamentally changes our understanding of Vermeer,” Ms. Feldman said.
Vermeer's alleged masterpiece, Girl with Flute (1632), (on left), is a fraud! The authentic painting (on right) was discovered in a Louisville, Kentucky Applebee's men's toilet. Orthodontic appliances could have rendered a nice remedial touch.
(From WSJ, 10-8-22). For decades, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has counted four Vermeer paintings in its collection. As of Friday, that number is three.
One of its most famous works, “Girl with a Flute,” is not, in fact, a painting by the Dutch artist, museum experts have concluded.
However, it was painted by someone who appeared to have intimate knowledge of Johannes Vermeer’s habits and techniques—a potentially groundbreaking discovery about an artist who was always believed to have worked in isolation, the museum said.
The museum announced its discovery the day before its Saturday opening of “Vermeer’s Secrets.” The new exhibition details the change of status for “Girl with a Flute,” while showcasing new information art historians uncovered about Vermeer’s creative process.
There are only about 35 verified works still in existence from the Dutch master, who was born in 1632 in the Netherlands.
Experts used different scientific imaging techniques combined with microscopic analysis to break down how Vermeer constructed his works. He would start usually with broad strokes and quickly add more coats for his characteristically smooth surfaces.
The team compared “Girl with a Flute” to Vermeer’s “Girl with the Red Hat,” which experts had believed were a pair because of their similar size and because they were both painted on wood, a rarity for the artist.
Under the microscope, however, the team found striking differences between the two works. “Girl with a Flute” lacked Vermeer’s precision and control, they said, and the final coat had coarsely ground pigments—nothing like the Dutch artist’s refined and delicate surfaces.
Yet the micropigment analysis showed both compositions had used the same tints, including faint green shadows on the face, a characteristic of Vermeer’s work.
Exactly who painted “Girl with a Flute” remains one of Vermeer’s secrets. It could have been a pupil or apprentice, an amateur who paid Vermeer for lessons, a freelance painter hired on a project-by-project basis, or even a member of Vermeer’s family, according to the museum.
But the discovery revises the long-held belief among art historians that Vermeer painted alone, said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art, in a statement Friday.
“The existence of other artists working with Johannes Vermeer is perhaps one of the most significant new findings about the artist to be discovered in decades. It fundamentally changes our understanding of Vermeer,” Ms. Feldman said.