Johannes Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer (October 31, 1632 – December 15, 1675) was a Dutch Baroque Period painter specializing in middle-class life’s domestic interior scenes. Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, and frequently used costly pigments. He is renowned for his masterly treatment and use of light in his work.

During his lifetime, he was moderately successful and recognized in Delft and The Hague. Nonetheless, he produced relatively few paintings and was not wealthy, leaving his wife and children in debt at his death.