Vermeers in their Frames

A young girl observes A Lady Writing on the occasion of the speciale exhibition

Frames are an important part of viewing a work of art. They isolate the painting from its environment permitting the viewer to experience the painting's illusionist qualities minimizing distracting elements which immediately surround it. Without a frame many delicate chromatic balances and subtleties of painting technique are less easily perceived. Painters in fact, often keep their paintings in frames to calculate more accurately delicate compositional and chromatic balances. A frame is similar to a window which, instead of allowing us to observe the outside world from within, permits us to observe the artist's inside world from without.

The available images of the paintings in their frames are arranged in chronological order above and can be accessed by clicking on their titles.

We would like to exhibit each Vermeer painting in its present frame. We will be happy to credit your name along side the image if published. Thanks.