Johannes Vermeer Picture Study Aid and Art Prints
This 26-page Johannes Vermeer Picture Study Aid (available as a PDF or printed booklet shipped to you) includes a brief summary of the life of the Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), a synopsis of seven of his works, printable or professionally-printed versions of the pieces covered, and a brief discussion about Charlotte Mason’s ideas and methods for implementing picture study at different ages.
Vermeer: A View of Delft
by Anthony Bailey
This was slow at times but is very rewarding if you want to learn more about this elusive painter and gives wonderful background not only on his life, but also the city of Delft and the world in which he lived.
The Forger’s Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century
by Edward Dolnick
“As riveting as a World War II thriller, The Forger’s Spell is the true story of Johannes Vermeer and the small-time Dutch painter who dared to impersonate him centuries later. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of one of the most beloved and admired artists who ever lived. As Edward Dolnick reveals, his true genius lay in psychological manipulation, and he came within inches of fooling the world. Instead, he landed in an Amsterdam court on trial for his life. The Forger’s Spell is the gripping, true tale of this almost perfect crime.” While not exactly about Vermeer, this book does talk in-depth about many of his paintings and it’s a fascinating read.
Vermeer. The Complete Works
by Karl Schütz
It’s rare that you can find a book that includes all of the known works of an artist, but because Vermeer’s oeuvre is fairly small, it is possible with him. This is beautifully done and includes close-ups of some of the paintings with additional information as well as information on paintings that are suspected to be his as well. I was able to find this used for a decent price!
The Milkmaid
by Walter Liedtke
The catalogue of the exhibition “Vermeer’s Masterpiece The Milkmaid” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, September 9 -November 29, 2009. With 25 illustrations, mostly in color. 12 related paintings are described and illustrated in color.
The Vermeer Interviews: Conversations With Seven Works of Art
by Bob Raczka
This would be good for older students or parents wanting to know more about the pieces. I would not recommend this for younger students. It includes The Milkmaid, The Geographer, The Art of Painting (titled “The Artist in His Studio”), and Woman in Blue Reading a Letter, among others. Ages 8+.
Anna and Johanna
by Géraldine Elschner
This is purely fictional and tells the story of two characters in Vermeer’s paintings (The Milkmaid and The Lacemaker). Ages 4-8.
