In the footsteps of Vermeer in Delft, the birthplace of the master

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Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), master of the Dutch Golden Age, will be the star of the

from February 10, when a major exhibition of the Delft painter will open, bringing together almost all of his works for the first time .

Not an easy task since Vermeer painted only

throughout his life and institutions such as the Mauritshuis in The Hague, custody of

rarely lend his treasures.

For the art-loving traveler, another way to get to know and get closer to the master is by visiting his hometown, a typically Dutch city - there is no shortage of canals, merchants' houses and peaked churches - an hour south of Amsterdam.

Delft has prepared a parallel program with two highlights: a tourist route that explores the

and that appear in many of his paintings, and an exhibition that focuses on his biography and his relationship with the city.

exhibition

, until June 4 at the

houses the best works of the master's contemporaries together with pieces of the famous ceramics of this city, as well as tapestries, maps, engravings, drawings, books, documents personal and other treasures from various archives that paint a rich picture of the artistic, intellectual and social climate in Delft in the 17th century.

Delft East Gate.

Visitors will meet figures from Vermeer's immediate circle, such as his mother-in-law Maria Thins, fellow painter Leonaert Bramer, family notary Willem de Langue, collectors Maria de Knuijt and her husband Pieter van Ruijven, and master baker Hendrick van Buyten, art collector.

The ideal way to get closer to the man behind the myth and better understand how Vermeer was able to become one of the most beloved artists of the 17th century.

Several of the documents on display are unpublished and have come to light precisely during the preparation of this exhibition.

One is a burial record in the

indicating that the artist was buried with honours.

Another find is a document reflecting the financial compensation Vermeer's family received after his inn suffered a devastating gunpowder explosion in 1654.

One of the archivists of the Vermeer papers.

The museum is, naturally, one of the places where the traveler who wants to follow the Vermeer tourist route through the historic center of the city will stop.

Other milestones that mark the tour is a visit to the house where Vermeer lived with his wife, Catharina Bolenes, and his ten children.

Another is the place from which he painted

considered the most famous urban landscape of 17th-century Holland.

Or where he created

which was actually the home of his aunts in Delft.

It is also essential to go through the headquarters of the

, where painters, draughtsmen, glassmakers, sculptors, engravers, but also potters, book printers and art dealers could join the guild.

Vermeer entered following in the footsteps of his father.

Today it houses the

and is the only place where you can admire the complete works of Vermeer in large-scale reproductions.

You can follow

on

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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