Vermeer's Clients

Jupiter, Mercury and Virtue
Dosso Dossi

"In 1716 another - also lost - history painting from the beginnings of Vermeer's career was called Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, by J. ver Meer. It was being auctioned from the estate of Delft patrician Gerard van Berckel (c. 1620-1686),"Commissioner of the Finances of Holland." His art collection was inherited by his son Willem van Berckel (1679-11759), a one-time burgomaster of the city of Delft. This mythological scene, presumably in the possession of the distinguished Delft family for a long time, may be considered evidence of the interest in Vermeer's work in the upper echelons of Delft society."¹

"With Diana and her Companions, it would represent Vermeer's only foray into mythology. Unfortunately, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury do not appear jointly in any know subject drawn from mythology. Perhaps the auctioneer mistook the female figure for Venus, when it actually represented Virtue or Psyche. Dosso Dossi's painting of Jupiter, Mercury and Virtue (shown as a female figure) is conserved in Vienna. Raphael is known to have made a drawing of Mercury introducing Psyche to Jupiter."² The young and ambitious Vermeer may have painted this mythological scene in order to appeal to the classical tastes of  the Dutch court in the rich and nearby The Hague. The painting  appeared  in the Delft auction on March 24, 1761.