Vermeer: A View of Delft

In 1653, the artist Johannes Vermeer, the twenty-one-year-old son of an innkeeper, registered as a master painter with the city's Guild. He went on to enjoy a respectable local reputation as a painter until his death in 1675; it was not until the mid-nineteenth century, however, that his genius was widely appreciated. Today, Vermeer's thirty-five paintings are regarded as masterpieces.

In Vermeer, Anthony Bailey presents an intriguing portrait of Vermeer's life and character, long lost in history. Bailey re-creates the atmosphere of the times, introduces Vermeer's colleagues, portrays his domestic life in vibrant detail; he also sheds light on the science and artistry behind the glorious, almost mystical, paintings. Meticulously researched and elegantly written, Vermeer will stand as the classic work on Vermeer for years to come.

Anthony Bailey was a writer for The New Yorker for thirty-five years and has been called "one of the best descriptive writers of his generation" (John Russell, The New York Times). His twenty-one books include the novel Major André, two acclaimed memoirs, two books on Rembrandt, and most recently, Standing in the Sun, a biography of J. M. W. Turner. He lives in Greenwich, England.