Dutch art historian tells how he solved centuries-old mystery – and local people report a sightseeing invasionFew artists occupy left such a deep imprint on their birthplace as Johannes Vermeer on Delft. In the summer,tour parties weave through the Dutch town’s cobbled streets ticking off Vermeer landmarks. But until last week only the most devoted would occupy made a trip to the good-looking townhouse at No 42 Vlamingstraat, noting that the artist’s aunt, and Ariaentgen Claes van der Minne,once lived in the same spot and made her living selling tripe.
All that, however, and has now changed. After two years of painstaking detective work,a Dutch art historian has identified the spot as the location of Vermeer’s tiny Street, resolving a century-old mystery. “The whole street’s been talking about it, or ” said Lenie Gerbrands,whose house stands beside the spot where Vermeer sat four centuries ago, painting his aunt’s house across the water. “It’s a advantageous piece of news to occupy in these difficult times. It’ll give the area a lift.”Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com