Dating Vermeer's Paintings

The following three tables provide dates of Vermeer's paintings by eight authoritative Vermeer scholars. The publications in which the datings appear can be found on the bottom of this page or at this site's in-depth bibliography page.

SOURCES:

DE GROOT, Hofstede C. , A Catalogue Raisonné of the works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century, vols.10, 1907-1928; Vol.1, "Johannes Vermeer."

DE VREIS. A. B. , Jan Vermeer van Delft, London / New York (2nd.ed.), 1948

GOWING, Lawrence, Vermeer, London, 1952 and 1970

BLOCK,Vitali, Tutta la pittura de Vermeer di Delft, Milan, 1954

GOLDSCHEIDER, L., Jan Vermeer, London, 1958

BLANKERT, Albert, (with contributions by RUURS, Rob and VAN DE WATERING, Willem), Vermeer, 1978

WHEELOCK, Arthur K. Jr., Vermeer; The Complete Works, 1997

LIEDTKE, Walter, Vermeer and the Delft School, New York, 2001

DATES USED IN the ESSENTIAL VERMEER WEBSITE:

Since very few of Vermeer's paintings were dated by his own hand (probably only The Procuress in 1656), the dates given throughout this site are a distillation of those estimated by three contemporary Vermeer scholars: Albert Blankert, Walter Liedtke, and Arthur Wheelock.To resolve discrepancies among them, the range of the dates for each painting has been indicated.

TITLE Blankert Liedtke Arthur Wheelock Goldschieder Block De Vreis Thorè-Burger de Groot Gowing
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary 1654-1656 1655 1654-1655 no.1, 1654 before 1656 no.2 no.1 c. 1655-1659
Diana and her Companions 1654-1656 1653-1654 1655-1656 no.2, 1655 before 1656 no.1, 1654 no.3 c. 1660-1662
The Procuress 1656 1656 1656 1656 1656 no.3 no.1 no.41 c. 1660-1662
A Maid Asleep 1657 1657 1657 no.3, 1656 1655-1660 no.4, 1656 no.16 c. 1660-1662
A Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window 1659 1657 1657 no.6, 1658 1655-1660 no.5, 1657 no.31 no.34 c. 1660-1662
The Little Street 1661 1658-1660 1657-1658 no.7, 1659 1665-1660 no7, 1658 no.49 no.47 c. 1660-1662
Officer and Laughing Girl 1661 1658-1660 1658-1660 no.5, 1657 1657-1660 no.6 no.7 no.39
The Milkmaid 1658 1658 1658-1660 no.9, 1660 1655-1660 no.9, 1658 no.25 no.17
The Glass of Wine 1660-1661 1658-1659 1658-1660 no.11, 1660 1655-1660 no.11, 1658-1660 no.20 no.37
The Girl with a Glass of Wine 1660-1661 1659-1660 1659-1660 no.15, 1663 1660 no.12, 165-1660 no.6 no.38
Girl Interrupted in Her Music 1662 1659-1660 1660-1661 no.19, 1660-1661 1661 no.13, 1658-1660 no.9 no.27
View of Delft 1661 1661 1660-1661 no.10, 1660 1660-1661 no. 8, 1658 no.48
The Music Lesson 1664 1662-1663 1662-1664 no.13, 1662 1655-1660 1659-1660 no.10 no.28
Woman in Blue Reading a Letter 1662-1665 1663-1664 1663-1664 no.17, 1662-1664 1660-1665 1663 no.32 no.31
Woman Holding a Balance 1662-1665 1663-1664 1664 no.21, 1664 1660-1665 no.17, 1662-1663 26/27 no.10
Young Woman with a Water Pitcher 1662 1662 1664-1665 no.16, 1663 1660 no.10, 1658-1660 no.19
Woman with a Lute 1662-1663 1664 no.19, 1664 1665 no.20, 1663-1664
Woman with a Pearl Necklace 1662-1665 1663-1664 1664 no.18, 1665 1665 no.18, 1662-1663 no.3 no.20
A Lady Writing 1666 1665 1665 no.29, 1665 1665 no.19, 1663-1664 no.40 no.36
Girl with a Red Hat 1665 1665-1666 no.25, 1666-1667 1667 no. 22, 1664 no.47 no.46A
Girl with a Flute 1665-1670 no. 26, 1667 1667 1664 no.22
The Girl with a Pearl Earring 1665 1665-1667 1665-1666 no.23, 1665 1660-1665 1660 no.44
The Concert 1664 1666-1667 1665-1666 1662 1660 no.14, 1658-1660 no.23 no.29
The Art of Painting 1662-1665 1666-1668 1666-1667 no.24, 1666 1665-1670 no.23, 1665 no.1 no.8
Study of a Young Woman 1672-1674 1665-1667 1666-1667 no.34, 1666-1667 1660-1670 no.15, 1660 no.2 no.42
Study of a Young Woman 1666-1667 1666-1667 1667 no. 29, 1670 1665-1670 no. 21, 1666-1667 no.8 no.33
The Astronomer 1668 1669 1668 no.27, 1668 1668 no.27, 1668 no.36 no.6
The Geographer 1669 1669-1670 1668-1669 no.28, 1668 1668 no.28, 1669 no.34 no.5
The Lacemaker 1670-1671 1669-1670 1669-1670 no.22, 1669-1670 1665-1670 1664 no.37 no.11
The Love Letter 1667 1669-1670 1669-1670 no.31, 1669-1670 1665-1670 no.24, 1666 no.32
The Guitar Player 1671-1672 1669-1670 1670 no.32, 1670 1665-1670 no.26, 1667 no.26
Lady Writing with Her Maid 1671 1670-1671 1670 no.30, 1670 1665-1670 no.16, 1660-1670 no.35
Allegory of Faith 1672-1674 1672-1673 1671-1674 no.37, 1672 after 1670 no.29, 1669-1670 no.41 no.2
A Lady Standing at a Virginal 1670 1672-1673 1670 no. 35, 1671 late no. 30, 1670 no.29 no.23
A Lady Seated at a Virginal 1672-1675 1672-1673 1670 no.36, 1673 late no.31, after 1670 no.30 no.25