#CCDN271 Assign1

[joy-271-blog]

On the Other Side of the Window

The Everyday is a common place of existence for those who live, and for those who lived before us. Johannes Vermeer, 1632 – 1675 (Janson, A Timeline of Vermeer's Life - 1632-1640 , 2001-2012), captured this essence of life. He was a Dutch genre artist who left behind a collection of works now part of the most beloved images in the history of art. The informative online catalogue dedicated to Vermeer is a retrospective of his works (Janson, Complete Catalogue of the paintings of Johannes Vermeer, 2008), which offers great insight into understanding his passion for the subject of everyday. The catalogue is a source which allows us to view in depth how Vermeer’s paintings engage with the theme of enduring domestic life.                 The online catalogue is comprised of all 37 of Vermeer’s paintings. Scholars have worked together to provide correct factual details of each work. This conveys the authenticity of the catalogue, there is no falsity to the retrospective. Using the mouse reveals a number of informative hotspots within each painting. This systematic approach and interactive method shows the source is aimed to be an interesting and enjoyable learning tool for those who browse the catalogue.                 This source provides links to other relevant sites and discussions, which lead to a cross-section of information assisting with the conclusions made between the paintings and the theme of everyday life. A link to a research report reveals that Vermeer’s descriptive elements and objects are never placed randomly, in order to work in context with reality. His paintings have a “unique ability to place us in the space occupied by their protagonists” (Janson, The Subject Matter of Dutch Domestic Interiors, 2001-2012), which engages with the theme of universal living. A different day, definitely a different time, yet today we are still immersed in the sameness of everyday life which filled Dutch society life back then.                 Although his works are culture specific, this interminable source assists our understanding that his canvas became a repository for observation. He deposits sections of life into everyday settings, allowing us to subconsciously examine our everyday as we freely gaze through the open window of theirs. His genre works are a portrait of life, which point without judgement to convey a moment from a story we can imagine as similar to our own.                 By assessing the catalogue, it is clear that it was made with aims to express Vermeer’s approach to the importance a single moment can have in a day. This source illuminates a segment by Conan Doyle, who suggests in his book that if we were to hold hands and fly above roofless houses and peer into opened windows, we would see right into the interiors in which Vermeer has painted (Highmore, 2002). Another scholar mentioned in a section of the catalogue is Fredrick Wedmore, who describes the narrative of Vermeer’s paintings as having “no story attempted but the story of a live very patient in its daily task.” (Wedmore, 2009) After all, it is but a collection of moments, memories, meetings, mysteries and movements, which make up the everyday lives of our world today.

Works Cited

  Bates and Guild Company Publishers. (1904, June). Masters in Art. A Series of Illustrated Monographs. Vermeer of Delft, pp. 23-25.

Highmore, B. (2002). Everyday life and Cultural Theory. London: Routledge.

Janson, J. (2001-2012). A Timeline of Vermeer's Life - 1632-1640 . Retrieved from Essential Vermeer: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/timelines/timeline_vermeers_life.html

Janson, J. (2001-2012). The Subject Matter of Dutch Domestic Interiors. Retrieved from Essential Vermeer: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/dutch-painters/dutch_art/subject_matter.html

Janson, J. (2008). Complete Catalogue of the paintings of Johannes Vermeer. Retrieved from Essential Vermeer: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/vermeer_painting_part_one.html

Wedmore, F. (2009). The Masters of Genre Painting. London: General Books LLC.