The Young Vermeer

The National Gallery was being generous when they described this exhibition as ‘an intimate display’. Consisting of three paintings in one small room, The Young Vermeer is truly tiny. In its favour, though, it does manage to do a remarkable amount with its limited resources.

‘Diana and her nymphs’, ‘Christ in the house of Mary and Martha’ and ‘The Procuress’ are the three earliest surviving paintings by Vermeer, and were all formerly misattributed to other artists. Lined up in chronological order, the paintings clearly track the development of Vermeer’s style during the early part of his career; all three being painted between the ages of 21 and 24. His journey from the well-regarded realms of history painting into the depths of genre painting, from Classical mythology to brothel scenes, is particularly fascinating to see and indicates just how well Vermeer understood the shifting trends in Delft at this time.

The paintings also become increasingly sophisticated, with a notable improvement in the psychological interaction between the figures. It is clear that Vermeer’s style is still undeveloped at this time, but there are real moments of beauty, particularly the textured rug and porcelain vase in ‘The Procuress’.

These three early paintings do not show Vermeer at his best, and the exhibition is really too small to go out of your way for. However, it is a great opportunity to see his earliest work together and, if you happen to be passing, it’s definitely worth a look.