Websites of Museum with Vermeer Paintings in their Collections
(part three)
Vermeer's 36 authentic paintings are housed in 17 different institutions in northeastern American and Europe. The Saint Praxedis, which would be the 37th painting by Vermeer, now welcomes only weak critical response and is not on public view but said to be in storage in Poland. The recently attributed Young Woman Seated at the Virginals, instead is in the hands of a private gallery in New York and is often lent to public museums for viewing. The Concert, stolen in 1990, has not been recovered.
When in their permanent locations, viewing conditions of the Vermeer paintings vary enormously. While one can often enjoy the Guitar Player in solicitude, it is nonetheless displayed in such low light that on an overcast day it is hard to see. Perhaps the best lighting conditions are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, but overcrowded conditions are not infrequent. The Frick paintings nearby are destined to be poorly seen, two of the three are only weakly lit by artificial light.
Almost all of these institutions have a website in which their Vermeer painting are represented,some have allotted only low quality images and minimum text while other, such as the Rijksmuseum, the Metropolitan of New York, and the National Gallery of Washington, provide navigators with in-depth information about their Vermeer's and many other important works of art in their collections. The National Gallery in London has recently provided spectacular zooms of their two Vermeer paintings. Furthermore, a select few also provide excellent tools for exploring various facets of art history such as timelines, essays on special topics, extraordinary zoom images and more. These sites have been signaled with four or five stars. The Rijksmuseum has earned six stars.
If you are traveling specifically to see a painting or paintings by Vermeer, always contact the museum beforehand to be sure it is on display at the moment. Paintings can be on temporary loan or in restoration.
Keep track of the temporary exhibitions by viewing the complete Vermeer catalogue index.
of the Kenwood House
| part one | |
| The Rijksmuseum | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| New York Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, U.S.A. |
| National Gallery | Washington D.C. , U.S.A. |
| National Gallery | London, England |
| part two | |
| The Mauritshuis | The Hague |
| Frick Collection | New York, U.S.A. |
| Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Gemäldegalerie | Berlin, Germany |
| Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Gemäldegalerie | Dresden, Germany |
| Städelsches Kunstinstitut | Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
| Louvre | Paris, France |
| part three | |
| Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum | Brunswick, Germany |
| Kunsthistorische Museum | Vienna, Austria |
| National Gallery of Ireland | Dublin, Ireland |
| Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | Boston, U.S.A. |
| Kenwood House | London, England |
| The Royal Collection, Buckingham Palace | London, England |
| National Gallery of Scotland | Edinburgh, Scotland |
HERZOG ANTON ULRICH-MUSEUM
museum home pagehttp://www.museum-braunschweig.de/
The museum, as one of Europe's oldest museums of art, houses the fourth largest picture gallery of Old Masters in Germany, sculptures and artwork from the ancient world to the early modern age as well as a collection of prints (Kupferstichkabinett) with works from the Middle Ages to the present day. The collection houses one painting by Vermeer, The Girl with a Wineglass.
Vermeer's splendid Girl with a Wineglass is present with a less than discrete image and a laconic explanatory text.
Although this exquisite gallery cannot rival the those few major collections where Vermeer paintings are housed, there seems to be no reason not to add a few good scans and at least some relevant text to inform viewers of the complexities and significance of such a fine work of art.
museum links:
museum information:
location:
Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum,
Kunstmuseum des Landes Niedersachsen
Museumstraße 1 D-38100 Braunschweig
opening hours:
closed on Mondays,
Tue., Thurs. - Sun. 10am - 5pm, Wed. 1pm - 8pm
contact :
tel (0531) 12 25 0
telefax (0531) 12 25 24 08
email: info@museum-braunschweig.de
THE KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM
museum home pagehttp://www.khm.at/en/kunsthistorisches-museum
The museums' magnificent architecture creates a fitting setting for the artistic treasures assembled by the Habsburgs, for centuries enthusiastic patrons and collectors. The collections of the Kunsthistorische Museum are amongst the most important and spectacular in the world. The 16th century Kunst- und Wunderkammer (art and treasure chambers) of Archduke Ferdinand and of Emperor Rudolph II, together with the baroque collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm form the nucleus of the Museums magnificent collections, in which the taste and artistic preferences of these and other connoisseurs of the Imperial Family are still discernible today, thus conveying a sense of the Imperial glory of the art-loving Habsburg dynasty. The Museums collections range from Ancient Egyptian and Greek and Roman Antiquities to the Collections of Medieval Art to the splendid Renaissance and Baroque Collections. In all, the museum is divided into eight different collections, some of which are housed in the Hofburg and in Schönbrunn Palace.
The collection houses one of Vermeer's key works, The Art of Painting.
Unfortunately, the Kunsthistorische Museum has little to offer the internet navigator except for basic information about the history and composition of the museum. In particular, Vermeer's magnificent Art of Painting is sorrowfully represented with a discrete image and a brief description of the work. A slightly larger image can be accessed but of little help to the more demanding viewer.
Like a few other major collections where Vermeer paintings are housed, at the Kunsthistorische Museum there seems to persist the lack of interest for the internet as a medium for advancing the goals of the institution.
museum links:
Vermeer's Art of Paintingmuseum information:
location:
Picture Gallery
Kunsthistorisches Museum, 1st Floor,
A-1010 Vienna, Maria Theresien Platz
opening hours:
Tuesday - Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Information about particular closing days:
Tel. (+43 1) 525 24/403, 404, 407, 365
Please enquire as to which collections are partly or wholly closed because of renovations.
contact:
tel. (+43 1) 525 24-0,
fax: (+43 1) 525 24-503
email:
info@khm.at
THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF IRELAND
museum home pagehttp://www.nationalgallery.ie/
The National Gallery of Ireland houses the national collection of Irish art and European master paintings including Vermeer's Woman Writing a Letter with her Maid.
The National Gallery of Ireland website offers neither information nor a single image of their Vermeer painting.
Like a few other major collections where Vermeer paintings are housed, at the National Gallery of Ireland there seems to persist the lack of interest for the internet as a medium for advancing the goals of the institution. In 2010 one might expect a bit more, especially since the display of a good digital image has almost no cost for the gallery.
museum information:
location:
National Gallery of Ireland,
Merrion Square West,
Dublin 2
opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm
Thursday 9.30am-8.30pm
Sunday 12pm-5.30pm
Closed Good Friday, 24-26 December
Admission to the permanent collection is free. Entry to exhibition galleries and shop ceases 15 minutes before Gallery closing time.
contact:
tel. +353-1-661 5133
fax. +353 1 661 5372
email:
info@ngi.ie
ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM
museum home pagehref=http://www.gardnermuseum.org/
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is at once an intimate collection of fine and decorative art and a vibrant, innovative venue for contemporary artists, musicians and scholars. Housed in a stunning 15th-century Venetian-style palace with three stories of galleries surrounding a sun- and flower-filled courtyard, the Museum provides an unusual backdrop for the viewing of art. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's preeminent collection contains more than 2,500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, manuscripts, rare books and decorative arts. The galleries house works by some of the most recognized artists in the world, including Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Manet, Degas, Whistler and Sargent. The spirit of the architecture, the personal character of the arrangements and the artistic display of the enchanting courtyard in full bloom all create an atmosphere that distinguishes the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum as an intimate and culturally-rich treasure.
The collection once housed Vermeer's Concert, which however was stolen in March 18, 1990 and has not been recovered since. If you have any information regarding this theft, please report it to the F.B.I. Art Theft Program. More information can be found by clicking here.
Understandably, the gallery website presents two pages dedicated to the theft of Vermeer's Concert with a standard image and no information about the painting itself.
from the gallery website:
In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, thieves dressed as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and stole 13 works of art.
Anne Hawley, director of the Gardner Museum says, “These rare and important treasures of art need to be returned to the Gardner Museum so that they can be enjoyed again by the public. While people often talk about the monetary value of art, the value of these objects goes far beyond dollars and cents. These masterpieces have the power to inspire thinking and creativity, two processes essential to a civil society. Isabella Stewart Gardner, this museum’s founder, understood that when she left them ‘for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.’”
A reward of $5 million is offered for information leading to the return of the works of art in good condition. Please contact the museum’s Director of Security Anthony Amore, at 617 278 5114, theft@isgm.org, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 617 742 5533.
museum links:
- information about the theft of The Concert
- press statement on the 17th anniversary of the painting's theft
- images of the stolen art work can be seen here
- a medium-size image of Vermeer's Concert can be viewed here
museum information:
location:
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
opening hours:
Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (Galleries begin closing at 4:45 p.m.)
open the following holidays: New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
contact :
tel:(617)566-1401
fax: (617)278-5167
email: Information@isgm.org
visitor services:
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
2 Palace Road
Boston, MA 02115
(617)278-5166
Information@isgm.org
mailing address:
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
2 Palace Road
Boston, MA 02115
KENWOOD HOUSE
English Heritage as \ Trustees of the Iveagh Bequest\ London
museum home pagehttp://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.12783
Set in splendid grounds beside Hampstead Heath, this outstanding neoclassical house holds one of the most important collections of paintings ever given to the nation. Works by Rembrandt, Turner, Reynolds and Gainsborough all hang against a backdrop of sumptuous rooms. The house also contains paintings from the Suffolk Collection, with magnificent full-length portraits by William Larkin and Royal Stuart images by Van Dyck and Lely. The collection houses Vermeer's late and excellently conserved Guitar Player.
Visitors may wish to take time to enjoy the tranquility of Kenwood. As well as visiting the house, relax in the extensive lakeside gardens or explore the meandering pathways and woodland, featuring sculptures by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Pause to admire the wonderful views of London and enjoy the magnificent scenery, which is peppered with ancient oaks and is home to a variety of wildlife. Admission is free.
The Kenwood House website offers nothing more than a small image of Vermeer's Guitar Player with no text.
museum information:
location:
Kenwood House
Hampstead Lane, NW3,
London
train access:
Hampstead Heath 1½ miles; Archway and Golders Green Tube, then the 210 bus, or Highgate 1 mile
bus access:
LT service 210 q Finsbury Park - Golders Green (020 7222 1234)
opening hours:
1 Apr-31 Oct 10am-5pm Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1 Nov-31Mar 10am-4pm Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
24-26 Dec and 1 Jan Closed
contact :
tel. 020 8348 1286
THE BUCKINGHAM PALACE: THE ROYAL COLLECTION
museum home pagehttp://www.royalcollection.org.uk
Shaped by the personal tastes of kings and queens over more than 500 years, the Royal Collection includes paintings, drawings and watercolors, furniture, ceramics, clocks, silver, sculpture, jewellery, books, manuscripts, prints and maps, arms and armour, fans, and textiles. It is is held in trust by The Queen as Sovereign for her successors and the Nation, and is not owned by her as a private individual.
Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. It evolved from a town house that was owned from the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Dukes of Buckingham. Today it is The Queen's official residence, with 775 rooms. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are opened to visitors on a regular basis.
The State Rooms of the Palace are open to visitors during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September. They are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto and Claude; sculpture by Canova and Chantrey; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.
The Royal Collection website has recently been renewed and now presents excellent zoomable image of the collection's Vermeer masterpiece, The Music Lesson. Although the image is not of the highest resolution, it nonetheless offers a very good idea of the painting's original color and painterly quality.
The Royal Collection's Web pages are currently in development alongside a new on-line object database. Information about the collection will be retrievable by searching, sorting and grouping the works by collector, type or subject.
museum links:
museum information:
The Music Lesson is frequently inaccessible to the general public.
It will hang in Buckingham Palace, in the State Apartments picture
gallery for the months of August and September 2010.
Buckingham Palace State Apartments:
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=30
ticket information:
London SW1A 1AA
tel: (+44) (0)20 7766 7300
fax: (+44) (0)20 7930 9625
email: bookinginfo@royalcollection.org.uk
opening hour:
The Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will be 27 July - 29 September 2010. Further dates may be added.
To receive updates about admission details, please register for the Royal Collection
e-newsletter.
A typical visit lasts between 2 and 2½ hours
email:
pictures@royalcollection.org.uk
NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND
museum home pagehttp://www.nationalgalleries.org
Opened to the public in 1859, the National Gallery of Scotland is situated in the heart of Edinburgh and is home to Scotland's greatest collection of European paintings and sculpture from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism, one of the very finest galleries of its size in the world. As well as housing the national collection of work by Scottish artists, the Gallery also has some 20,000 drawings, prints and watercolors, with a Print Room open to the public by appointment. An active exhibitions programme both from the permanent collections and major international loan exhibitions. The gallery is complimented by the recent completion of the Playfair Project which has provided a specialist exhibition venue in the Royal Scottish Academy Building and the new facilities center, the Weston Link Building.
The Museum houses an outstanding collection of paintings, drawings and prints by the greatest artists from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism, including Velázquez, El Greco, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Constable, Monet and Van Gogh; shown alongside the national collection of Scottish art.
The collection houses Vermeer's early religious work, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary.
The gallery has recently renovated its website recently with respectable results. A page has been dedicated to Vermeer's Christ in the House of Mary and Martha with a brief description of the painting and the possibility to view an enlarged image of good quality. Also possible is a special Zoomify feature which permits close range observation but unfortunately, the scan of the painting is far from state-of-the-art quality (compare with those of the Metropolitan in New York or the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum) and rather seems to have been drawn from a paper reproduction.
museum links:
- click here for the page dedicated to Vermeer's Christ in the House of Martha and Mary
- click here for the special Zoomify feature
museum information:
location:
The National Gallery of Scotland is on The Mound, right in the heart of Edinburgh, on Princes Street.
opening hours:
open daily 10am-5pm. Thursdays until 7pm.
Festive period opening hours:
Closed 25 and 26 December only. Open 1 January from 12 noon-5pm.
Admission is free. A charge may be made for special exhibitions.
contact:
For general enquiries regarding your visit or Gallery services.
+44 (0)131 624 6200
email:
enquiries@nationalgalleries.org
Private collection
After its acquisition on July 7, 2004 by Steve Wynn, the Young Woman Seated at the Virginals was briefly exhibited in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was then transferred to the Art Gallery of the Wynn of Las Vegas and later appeared as part of a temporary exhibition in Tokyo, 2008.
The work has recently been purchased by a private New York collector.