Vermeer

-- The intelligent and accessible text and the reproductions of all Vermeer's surviving paintings in color make this the ideal introduction to Vermeer's work

Johannes Vermeer is one of the most subtle artists who ever lived, and yet his pictures have achieved the recognition they deserve only in the 20th century. Second only to Rembrandt among 17th century Dutch painters, he enjoyed nothing like the same fame in his own lifetime. The rediscovery of Vermeer is a story in itself, which John Nash unravels in a critical journey, showing how, by dint of comparisons, cross-references and intelligent guesswork, Vermeer's paintings can be made to yield some of their secrets.

Eminently readable with all Vermeer's surviving paintings reproduced in full color, this is an accessible and intelligent account of this important and popular artist.