Vermeer's Clients

Van Buyten, a well-to-do baker and prominent citizen of Delft, owned at one time or another at least three paintings by Vermeer. He received two paintings from Catharina in 1676 as a security for a substantial debt for more than 600guilders after the death of Vermeer (such a sum was roughly the equivalent of the price paid for a small house in the netherlands in those times).They were described as "two personages one of which the one sits and writes a letter," probably Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid, and "a personage playing on a zither," probably the London Guitar Player. After the baker's death in 1701 the former was encountered "in the vestibule" as"a large painting by Vermeer." In another room hung "two little pieces by Vermeer." In 1666 Van Buyten  had a painting by Vermeer that was recorded in the diary of the French diplomat and connoisseur Balthasar De Monconys. During a visit to Delft which was made expressly to visit Vermeer,  the Delft artist  was unable, or unwilling, to show him even a single painting. The Frenchman then went to a baker's house (most likely Van Buyten's home) where he saw a painting by Vermeer with but a single figure. Van Buyten estimated the value of his painting at 600 guilders which the Frenchman thought was far too costly, he felt that the paintings was worth one tenth of that price. Anthony Bailey believes that likely candidates could be Woman in Blue Reading a Letter or Woman with a Water Pitcher taking into consideration the date of De Monconys' visit and the approximate dates of the two single figured paintings.