Meet Vermeer
Permanent Exhibition

Meet Vermeer

At the Vermeer Centrum Delft you will learn everything about the life, work, contemporaries and the city of Delft's most famous painter. Situated in the middle of the beautiful historic centre of Delft.

Spread over four floors, we take you on a journey through a world full of interesting facts about 17th-century Delft, Vermeer's working methods, materials, techniques and his fabulous use of natural light. The admission ticket includes a free audio tour, which adds even more meaning to a visit to the Vermeer Centre's permanent exhibition. The audio tour is available in Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese.

The permanent exhibition at the Vermeer Centrum Delft consists of:

  • Vermeer's world

  • The painter Vermeer

  • Vermeer's works

  • Vermeer's studio

  • Hidden love messages

Vermeer's world

At the Vermeer Centrum Delft, you will learn about 17th-century Delft and the role Vermeer played in it. Delft was (and is) a thriving and vibrant city. A city of trade, industry, art and science. The city of Delft Blue. The city of Van Leeuwenhoek, scientist and inventor of the microscope. And the city of Vermeer's fellow painters and contemporaries De Hoogh and Fabritius.

The painter Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer was known as a sphinx. Little is known about the painter. But what we do know about him can be found in the Vermeer Centrum Delft. During your visit, we will share with you the story of his life, his family, his mother-in-law, his rise and fall, as well as the people who were important in his life and career.

Vermeer's works

The Vermeer Centrum Delft is the only location in the world where Johannes Vermeer's entire oeuvre can be viewed in full size in the form of high-quality reproductions. The centre thus offers a fascinating insight into the painter's development, both in terms of format and in terms of themes, use of colour and technique. At the interactive experience table, Stephen Fry (English) and Joy Delima (Dutch) will guide you through the digital exploration ‘Closer to Vermeer’, allowing you to zoom in on Vermeer’s works in ultra-high resolution.

Vermeer studio

In the Vermeer studio, we tell you everything about Vermeer's working methods, materials and techniques. About perspective, light and colour. What role did the Camera Obscura play? Which pigments did Vermeer work with and how did he make his paint?

We also show our presentation about the restoration by the Rijksmuseum of the “Woman Reading a Letter in Blue”.

Love messages

Many of Vermeer's paintings are about love. Sometimes this is obvious, sometimes subtle. Today, not everyone recognises these symbols. In this part of the exhibition, we explain what the symbols represent.

 

Wander through four floors full of interesting facts and meet the Master of Light!