WAYNE E. FRANITS

Johannes Vermeer (163275) has long been heralded as one of the greatest Dutch painters of the Golden Age. As the spectacular success of recent exhibitions on this artist confirms, Vermeers work continues to fascinate specialists and laypersons alike. The Cambridge Companion to Vermeer offers a systematic overview of the artists life and work that will be useful to specialists, students, and the general public. Its eleven essays include studies of the artists development and approach to painting, women as a subject in Vermeers work, the role of Catholicism in Vermeers life and art, and the artists reputation during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, among other topics. Collectively, these essays provide a balanced and enlightening examination of many different aspects of Vermeers art.