Vermeer – The Rijksmuseum’s major exhibition catalogue
£34.10£47.50 (-28%)
PUBLISHED TO ACCOMPANY THE ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXHIBITION AT THE RIJKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM, THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR STUDY ON VERMEER’S LIFE AND WORK FOR MANY YEARS.
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‘Proust was once so excited to see a Vermeer show that he collapsed … I got chest pains merely leafing through the catalogue’ Jonathan Jones, Guardian
‘Invest in the fat catalogue, stuffed with scholarly discoveries and photographic closeups, and you will learn about everything from Vermeer’s optical mastery to his moral symbolism’ Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times
‘Excellent’Artists & Illustrators
‘Getting a ticket for the once-in-a-lifetime Vermeer exhibition, above, at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam this year might frankly be a bit of a challenge, but you can at least console yourself with the exhibition catalogue, published by Thames & Hudson, which is a gorgeous thing. Nothing matches seeing a painting in the flesh, but this comes mightily close.’The Herald
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Vermeer’s intensely quiet and enigmatic paintings invite the viewer into a private world, often prompting more questions than answers. Who is being portrayed? Are his subjects real or imagined? And how did he create such an unrivalled sense of intimacy?
Bringing together diverse strands of the Dutch master’s professional and private worlds, this is the first major authoritative study of Vermeer’s life and work for many years, throwing light on all thirty-seven of his paintings.
The book was designed by Irma Boom, the ‘Queen of Books’, and printed on an uncoated ‘Munken Print White’ paper, specially commissioned to ensure the veracity of colours. Irma Boom says: ‘the matte paper brings you closer to Vermeer; there is no gloss or glare in between, just like with the real works.’ With a wide selection of contextual illustrations, commentaries and up-to-date research by distinguished international Vermeer scholars, this is the definitive volume on the most admired of all seventeenth-century Dutch masters.
With contributions by
Bart Cornelis, National Gallery, London
Bente Frissen, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Sabine Pénot, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Pieter Roelofs, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Friederike Schuett, Staedel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Christian Tico Seifert, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh
Ariane van Suchtelen, Mauritshuis, The Hague
Gregor J.M. Weber, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Marjorie E. Wieseman, National Gallery of Art, Washington
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Additional information
| Publisher | Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1st edition (2 Mar. 2023) |
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| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 320 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0500026726 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0500026724 |
| Dimensions | 22.1 x 3.81 x 27.18 cm |
by Mr. Graham Tebby
Full of details, explanations and pictures. Although unsuccessful in getting tickets for the exhibition itself, the catalogue does go some way to showing me what I missed. A real door stopper of a book, but well worth the read.
by G WEBB
There are a lot of negative reviews here concerning the quality of the reproductions of Vermeer’s paintings, but DO NOT let that put you off! Although the images are not glossy like in many other books, the detailed images still allow you to marvel at Vermeer’s brilliant brushstrokes.
The text is fascinating, with many insights shared from recent technical analysis of some of the paintings. It also puts the paintings and artist into context revealing many hidden symbolisms in them. Interesting to see all of his surviving works shown to the same scale so you can compare, and detailed provenance history of every work. The inventory taken after his death of the contents of his house is also revealing. It is very well cross-referenced.
So if you are only interested in glossy reproductions, buy a different book, but if you are interested in the art and artist, this book is a must. The exhibition at the Rijksmuseum was an unforgetable experience, and this catalogue compliments it.
by Stephen Bentley
I had expected an exhibition catalogue of similar spectacular quality to that provided for the Van Eyck Exhibition. The essays are fluent and informative, what I’m not sure about are the illustrations/photographs. I’m used to seeing them produced on high gloss paper, not as here on almost but not quite cardboard/loo paper. The images do, to me, come across as blurred because not reproduced on high gloss paper. I’m unwilling to describe this catalogue as shoddy because I don’t think I know enough to condemn the product quite so roundly – but at £30 a time?
by Bartolomé Mesa
Although one is impressed by the text and the information given about both the paintings and the artist – tho we know very little about him – I feel the paper and therefore the photographs are of a very poor quality, especially when one considers the price of the catalogue. Had I seen this book beforehand I would not have expected to pay more than £15 for it.
I was quite surprised that the Rijksmuseum chose Thames and Hudson to produce the catalogue of such an important exhibition as their books are not usually of a high standard – this effort is no exception.
It has a cheap feel about it and leaves one wishing for something more lavishly produced to celebrate Vermeer’s oeuvre.
Vastly overpriced.
by Dimitrios Christidis
A good substitute for the exhibition that I couldn’t find any tickets. Thankfully we’re about 38 paintings
by Celia 22
Considering this book is supposed to accompany the “once in a lifetime” Vermeer exhibition, you’d think Thames & Hudson would’ve pulled out all the stops. Although it is a beautiful book and the feel of the paper is nice, the images lack quality. They look like what I could print out on my home computer. The colours are quite dull, the definition is blurry and for the RRP to be £50, I was quite confused.
I’ll keep the book but compared to the recent Pre Raphaelite exhibit book by Tate, (which was cheaper) it is slightly lacking in the artwork quality.
by LP1090
Really good text, well above its peers. Excellent photos of the paintings, but printed on a matte paper that meant the colour reproduction was poor and the whole thing felt cheap. Worth the money for the text alone.
by Bartolomé Mesa
No photograph, no matter how well made and printed, can do full justice to a Vermeer painting. At the Rijksmuseum I carefully took many (some I have added to this review) and comparing them to the real thing proved always disappointing. The photo captured the body, but the soul remained in the painting. The miracle of Vermeer eludes the camera. The same can be said of the many pictures in this well produced and very scholarly catalogue, but they offer a very good record of this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, with many incisive details, apart from several illuminating essays.
Printed in Bruges (Belgium) and designed in the Nerherlands, this is not a Thames&Hudson project. The paper is not glossy, but the book looks and feel very good in your hands. If you love Vermeer you should treat yourself to a copy. If you were fortunate to get a ticket for the exhibition, you don’t need my recommendation.