Johannes Vermeer

Object category

Physical connection Reference in ‘composite artworks’: artworks that are/were connected, such as alterpieces, decorative pieces incorporated in panelling, and works of art that were intended to be displayed together, such as pendants and series.

pendant

Johannes Vermeer, De geograaf (pendant)

is generally considered a companion piece of the painting in Frankfurt, yet this is not fully certain

Support/medium

canvas, oil paint

Shape/dimensions

rectangle (portrait format) 51.5 x 45.5 cm

Signature/inscription Information about the signature, dating, inscription or any other mark on the front or back of the art work

signed and dated upper right: IV MEER/ MDCLXVIII
IVM in ligature

Current attribution: Johannes Vermeer

Date Exact or approximate dating of the described art work; the search parameters adopted for this art work in this database, are found in brackets.: dated 1668 (1668)
Created in: Delft (city)

Subject

Title Title of the art-work in Dutch: De astronoom
English title: The Astronomer
Genre: undetermined
Keywords: genre, interior view, study (room), one human figure, three-quarter length, sitting, astronomer, astronomy, window, leaded window, table, oriental tablecloth, celestial globe, book, case furniture, chair, long hair (men's hairstyle), painting (depicted)
Iconclass code Iconclass codes and text contain specific scenes and names. An Iconclass code or notation is a code from the multi-lingual Iconclass system for subject retrieval. For more information about this system, see www.iconclass.nl.: 49E11(+1)
astronomical instruments (+ scholar, scientist (at work))

Artistically related to other work Such as a preparatory studie, comparable composition, other version, or copy of the artwork in this record.

related to
Gabriel Metsu, Briefschrijvende man
Both paintings feature a similar setting showing a corner of a room with a window on the left and similar composition of a seated man turned to the left at a table covered with a Persian rug partly pulled back, and motifs such as the globe, the silhouette of the chair and the rectangular accents in the background. (as observed by A. Waiboer)
inspired by
Gerard Dou, Astronoom bij kaarslicht
Vermeer adopted the subject of an astronomer in his study, and repeated the large open folio, the man's hand on the globe, and his distant gaze. (Waiboer et al. 2017, p. 208)
inspired by
Gerard Dou, Astronoom in een venster
Vermeer adopted the subject and perhaps the man's upwards gaze. (as observed by A. Waiboer)
inspired by
Gerard Dou, Astronoom bij kaarslicht
Vermeer adopted the subject of an astronomer at work, his general pose and the motif of the globe. (Baer/Wheelock/Boersma 2000A, p. 126)
used as model for
Cornelis de Man, Interieur met een geleerde in Japonsche rock
De Man repeated the composition featuring a corner of a room and a window on the left. (as observed by E. Schavemaker)
used as model for
Cornelis de Man, Interieur waarin drie mannen rond een tafel zitten met een globe
De Man adopted the subject and the astronomer's pose. (Waiboer 2010, p. 55)
used as model for
Hendrick Heerschop, Geograaf in zijn studeervertrek
Heerschop repeated the subject and adopted the composition and the figure's pose. (as observed by G. Weber)
copied in print by
Louis Garreau, De astronoom
used as model for
Abraham Delfos, De astronoom
contains artwork by
Jodocus Hondius (I)
the celestial globe
motif(s) similar to
manner of/after Michiel van Musscher, Astronoom in een interieur
the celestial globe by Jodocus Hondius I

Collection(s)

private collection Adriaen Paets, Rotterdam
1669 - 1686
Private collection
Adriaen Paets II, Rotterdam
1686 - 1712
private collection Hendrik Sorgh, Amsterdam
1713 - 1720-03-28 reported after the 1713 sale; sold 1720
private collection Govert Looten, Amsterdam
- 1729-03-31 sold 1729
private collection Jacob Crammer Simonsz., Amsterdam
- 1778-11-25 sold 1778
private collection Jean Etienne Fizeaux, Amsterdam
after his death in the possession of his widow
1778 - 1785
art dealer Pieter Fouquet, Amsterdam
art dealer Alexandre-Joseph Paillet, Paris
1784 - 1785
private collection Jan Danser Nijman, Amsterdam
- 1797-08-16 sold 1797
private collection Jan Jansz. Gildemeester, Amsterdam
1797-08-16 - 1800-06-11 bought 1797; sold 1800
art dealer or private collection Michael Bryan, Londen (Engeland)
- 1804-05-09 sold 1804
private collection John Gibbons, Birmingham (Great Britain)
private collection William Gibbons, London
- 1857-06-18 sold 1857
private collection Léopold Double, Rouen
- 1881-05-30 sold 1881
art dealer Léon Gauchez, Paris
1881-05-30 - acquired at the 1881 sale; sold to the Rothschild family between 1881-1888 (Liedtke 2008)
private collection Alphonse de Rothschild (1878-1942), Vienna/New York City/Zámek Šilheřovice
- 1905 by descent to his son Édouard de Rothschild
private collection Édouard de Rothschild, Paris
1905 - 1940
private collection Adolf Hitler, Berlin/Linz
1940 - 1945 confiscated from the Rothschild family (Liedtke 2008)
private collection Guy Rothschild, Paris
1949 - 1982
Musée du Louvre, Paris , inv./cat.nr RF 1983-28
1983 -

Auction(s)

, Rotterdam (stad), 1713-04-27, lotnr. 10 or 11
Name buyer : unknown, 300

Liedtke 2008, sold together with 'The Geographer'
, Amsterdam (stad), 1720-03-28, lotnr. 3 of 4
Contributor: Hendrick Sorgh
Name buyer : unknown, 160

Liedtke 2008, sold together with 'The Geographer'
, Amsterdam (stad), 1729-03-31, lotnr. 6
Contributor: Govert Looten
Name buyer : unknown, 104

Liedtke 2008, sold together with 'The Geographer'
, Londen (Engeland), 1804-05-09, lotnr. 145a
Contributor: Michael Bryan
36.15

Liedtke 2008
Schelte, Jacob (Amsterdam (city)) 1778-11-25 - 1778-12, lotnr. 18
Contributor Jacob Crammer Simonsz
Name buyer : de Vries , 172 gulden

Liedtke 2008 , sold together with 'The Geographer'
Schley, Philippus van der (Amsterdam (city)) 1797-08-16 - 1797-08-17, lotnr. 167
Contributor Jan Danser Nijman
Name buyer : Gildemeester , 270 gulden

Liedtke 2008
Schley, Philippus van der (Amsterdam (city)) 1800-06-11 - 1800-06-13, lotnr. 139
Contributor Jan Gildemeester
Name buyer : La Bouchère , 340 gulden

Liedtke 2008
Foster and Son (London (England)) 1857-06-18, lotnr. 52
Contributor William Gibbons
Name buyer : H. Tate , 53.11 GBP

Liedtke 2008
Exp.: Mannheim, Féral, Porquet C. P.: Pillet (Paris) 1881-05-30 - 1881-06-04, lotnr. 17
Contributor Léopold Double
Name buyer : Gauchez , 44500 FRF

Liedtke 2008

Exhibitions

Johannes Vermeer : der Geograph und der Astronom nach 200 Jahren wieder vereint Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie Frankfurt am Main , Frankfurt am Main , 1997-05-15 - 1997-07-13 , no. 2

Literature

Hofstede de Groot 1907-1925 , vol. 1, p. 590, no. 6
Blankert/Ruurs/van de Watering 1977 , p. 83-84, ill. 23
Slatkes 1981 , p. 82
Wheelock 1981 (Vermeer) , p. 13, 136-138
Foucart 1983 (Vermeer)
Blankert 1987 , p. 140-142, 193-194, no. 23, ill. 24
Broos et al. 1995A , no. 23
Edwards 1996 , p. 131-132
Wheelock 1997 , p. 56, ill. 28
van Berkel 1997
Gaskell/Jonker 1998 , p. 239-240
Liedtke 2000 , p. 262-263
Liedtke et al. 2001 , p. 167
Wright 2005 , p. 68, ill.. 29
Liedtke 2008 , p. 149-152, 197, no. 28, color ill. p. 149 , with provenance and literature
Villa 2012 , p. 116, ill.
Franits 2015 , p. 222-224, 228-229, 230-236, 244, 290, color ill.
Waiboer et al. 2017 , p. 208-213, no. 18.3, color ill.
Johnson/Sethares 2017 , passim, with ill. in color

J.A. Welu, 'Vermeer: His cartographic sources', The Art Bulletin 57 (1975), p. 544-547
A. Blankert, Vermeer of Delft, Oxford 1978, p. 55, no. 23
J. Welu, 'Vermeer's Astronomer: Observations on an open book', The Art Bulletin 68 (1986), p. 263-267
J.M. Nash, Vermeer, London 1991, p. 104, 106
K. van Berkel, 'Vermeer and the representation of science', in: W.E. Franits, The Cambridge companion to Vermeer, Cambridge 2001, p. 131-139

Visual documentation

Location image Location of the image in the visual documentation.

BD/Digital Collection (img.nr. 1001089181)
BD/Digital Collection (img.nr. 1000279212)
BD/Digital Collection (img.nr. 0000259657)

Project: Connect Vermeer
Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Le Brun

Permalink: https://rkd.nl/explore/images/209002

Creation date: 2011-06-30; Last modified date: 2021-12-08

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Johannes Vermeer

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