Among the 35 or so luminous paintings that survive by 17th century Dutch artist Jan Vermeer, six of the best-known take as their subject a young woman reading a love letter. Sometimes she is alone, sometimes a female servant hovers discreetly at her shoulder. In some she is engrossed in reading, in others she is absorbed in composing a letter herself. Read more
Rare paintings make U.S. debut in Minneapolis Amongst the rare objects, a painting by Johannes Vermeer titled 'The Astronomer'. The painting has never been to the U.S. before this exhibit and likely will not leave the Louvre again.
The Astronomer is a painting finished about 1668 by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. It is oil on canvas, 51cm x 45 cm, and is on display at the Louvre, Paris. Source