Anthony Bailey's "Vermeer: A View of Delft" Summary and Comments - Recommended biography to learn more about the historical background and life of the artist!
The book introduced here is "Vermeer: A View of Delft," written by Anthony Bailey and translated by Tetsuo Kinoshita, and published by Hakusuisha in 2002.
Let's take a quick look at the book.
Set in Delft, the film weaves together a portrait of Rembrandt, his contemporaries, and his large family, and brings us closer to the master shrouded in myth. This is the definitive edition of the critically acclaimed "A Close Look at the Painter on His Way to Canvas!
A word from the editor.
Vermeer lived in the 17th century, which was the early Edo period in Japan. At that time, the fashionable Kanbun beauties represented by Hishikawa Shisen were at their peak. In the sense of the word, he was a man of such a long time ago! In this book, however, Vermeer seems as if he were right in front of us.Contents (from "BOOK" database)
Set in the city of Delft, the book recreates his relationship with Rembrandt and many other painters of his time, his wife and mother-in-law, and the lives of his family with their many children, bringing us closer to the true nature of the master and the secrets of his masterpieces. A definitive critical biography.Contents (from "MARC" database)
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The real image of Vermeer, a master whose work is shrouded in myth, is brought to life through the interweaving of Rembrandt and other painters of the same period, as well as a large family group. This critically acclaimed biography has been described as "a close-up look at a painter on his way to the canvas.
As mentioned in the product description above, this work is a highly recommended biography to learn more about Vermeer's life.
As the acclaimed "biography of Vermeer," which was praised as "a close-up look at the painter on his way to canvas," the book provides a detailed account of the events surrounding Vermeer along with the historical background of 17th-century Holland. The book is written in an easy-to-read and interesting manner, making it an ideal biography for those who want to learn more about Vermeer.
In this article, I will highlight one of the most memorable passages from the book.
Other reference books have written about the French invasion of 1672, which brought about the end of the 17th century Dutch golden age, but an interesting discussion on why the Netherlands declined is discussed here.
In the 1670s, however, the republic's seemingly endless good fortune came to an end. One of the reasons for this was the increase in the number of people who retired from work and relied on their investments.
One leaflet circulated in 1662 complained that small shopkeepers, saloon masters, and even shoemakers dressed in extravagant attire that would pass for upper class. The old-fashioned, dull black garments were out of fashion, and velvet and silk beauty suits were the order of the day. Wealthy middle-class men wore wigs with hair powder. In a portrait painted by Fercollier, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek wears a wig.
Even the nuns of the Amsterdam Orphanage abandoned their starched white caps and severe black robes to be portrait models in bare-shouldered gowns and curly hair.
Patriotic people, noticing the feminine behavior of the Dutch youth, blamed French diplomats for corrupting the young men and turning them into men.
When French fashion began to invade, there was a theory that it was a plot hatched by Madame Mantenon, mistress of Louis XIV, and that the French were going to first bone the Dutch and then cook them as they pleased.
However, it is also possible to argue that the Dutch economy was booming and money was flowing into people's pockets in abundance, and that many people spent it. Mirrors with glittering decorations, leather wall hangings, extravagant silverware, and elaborately designed furniture sold like hotcakes. Naturally, some of these items were imported from France.
Hakusuisha, Anthony Bailey, translated by Tetsuo Kinoshita, Vermeer: A View of Delft, p. 248-249
Some line breaks have been made.
The Netherlands boasted overwhelming economic power, partly due to the prosperity of the East India Company, which was established in the early 17th century. However, the people were strongly Calvinistic and led a frugal and industrious life.
Such a climate, unique to the Netherlands, where there were many merchants, promoted economic development and created a golden age for the Netherlands.
The French invasion brought an end to this golden age, and it is often said that the Dutch economy lost its strength and national power declined due to the war. The author takes it one step further.
Yes, the direct trigger was the French invasion, but before that, Dutch ground was already crumbling.
As they grew richer, they lost their former virtues and became accustomed to a life of luxury and ease.
And I was particularly interested in the firstIt was one of the reasons that more and more people were retiring from their jobs and relying on their investments."This is the part that says
When I read this, I thought to myself, "Huh? This is the current trend in Japan..." I thought to myself.
I am not saying that investment is bad, but when the former principles of frugality, diligence, and enterprising spirit are lost and people start to focus only on luxurious lifestyles, the country's economic foundation will be weakened before long. And if there is one major calamity, it will be the final straw that decides the decline of the nation...
This was an event in 17th century Holland, but modern Japan is no stranger to it.
The Dutch golden age was the 17th century. As I mentioned earlier, the Dutch built an overwhelming fortune through overseas trade, led by the East India Company. The Dutch people enjoyed prosperity thanks to their abundant financial resources.
What do you think? Is this not similar to postwar Japan?
Postwar Japan also enjoyed prosperity, building an overwhelming fortune through trade.
But the Netherlands was in decline in less than a century. Now Japan, too, has been in decline since the bursting of the bubble economy.
I felt a chill run down my spine reading this passage.
Vermeer also lived through both of these periods of prosperity and decline, and painted his works in the midst of them.
No painter can live apart from the historical background. I was reminded of this in this book.
This work provides a fairly detailed look at the period in which Vermeer lived. We highly recommend this biography.
This is "Anthony Bailey's "Vermeer: A View of Delft," a recommended biography to learn more about the historical background and life of the artist! The above is a recommended biography to learn more about the historical background and life of Anthony Bailey.
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