With The Little Street (1658-60), Woman in Blue Reading a Letter (1662-64), The Love Letter (1669-70) and Milkmaid (circa 1660), the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam owns four of the only 35 paintings created by Jan Vermeer (1632-1675). From February 2023, 23 more works by the Baroque painter will join the museum from many major institutions in the largest-ever exhibition of his work, in honor of Vermeer's 390th birthday.
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In the run-up to the exhibition, conservators and researchers at the Rijksmuseum, together with their colleagues from the Mauritshuis in The Hague, used macro XRF and RIS scanning technologies to examine Vermeer's in-house paintings. The same machinery was recently used to examine Rembrandt's Night Watch, revealing some minute details. In the process, previously unknown details in The Milkmaid first inserted by Vermeer into his composition came to light, which he later discarded and painted over.
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"So much work had already been done on the painting hat we never anticipated something so definitive would surface thanks to modern technology. the exhibition in 2023 offers the Rijksmuseum the perfect opportunity to explore Vermeer with the latest technological advancement available to us, bringing viewers ever closer to this most mysterious and beloved artist of all time", said Taco Dibbits, General Director of the Rijksmuseum, in a press release.
So what are the layers of paint hiding in the composition of Vermeer's Milkmaid? The non-invasive examinations revealed that Vermeer first made a preliminary sketch of rough brushstrokes in light and dark colors before beginning the fine elaboration of the scene. The underpainting in black can be identified below the front arms of the maid.
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Also in black, Vermeer first placed a jug holder on the back wall at the level of the maid's head. Underneath, on the floor, he had initially planned a fire pit before finally discarding this idea in favor of a foot-operated stove.
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As with his other paintings, Vermeer used objects he found in his own household for The Milkmaid – a similar jug holder was found in the pantry, and a fire basket is listed in his estate inventory. Fire baskets woven from willow branches and fitted with charcoal bowls served as heat sources for newborns and were also used to dry diapers.
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The two objects that were eventually painted over would have been typical house objects of the time; with the fire basket primarily for a household with small children. As it goes, Jan Vermeer and his wife Catharina Bolnes had a total of 15 children (four of whom died young), and definitely made use of the fire basket in their home.
The Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam can be visited from February 10 to June 4, 2023.
