Johannes Vermeer
Well, tomorrow is Vermeer's birthday but we will celebrate it today because tomorrow is ... Halloween! It is always a pure pleasure to look at a Vermeer painting!
The Astronomer is one of Johannes Vermeer’s rare paintings devoted to science and intellectual discovery. It shows a scholar leaning toward a celestial globe, completely absorbed in his study of the heavens. His profession is suggested by the globe designed by Jodocus Hondius and the open astronomy book on the table, while the Finding of Moses depicted on the wall may connect scientific knowledge with wisdom and divine inspiration. The painting is closely related to Vermeer’s later The Geographer: the two works appear to show the same man in the same room, and their canvases were even cut from the same bolt of cloth. The sitter has sometimes been identified as Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the pioneering scientist who lived in Delft, although this remains uncertain.
P.S. If you are up for more Vermeer, we feature The Geographer in our beautiful 2027 Calendar. Check it out in the DailyArt Shop!
P.P.S. Still in the mood for Vermeer? Here’s our selection of 10 of his most fascinating paintings!