Vermeer's Delft: From Baptism to Grave

Johannes Vermeer was baptized in the Reformed Church on 31 October 1632, at one or two weeks old, in Delft's Nieuwe Kerk on the Markt. His mother and elder sister were later buried there. Years later Vermeer put the church's tower in the middle of his View of Delft, closer to the centre than it stands in reality, so it would stand out. The church is also the burial place of the Dutch royal family, whose vault is sealed between funerals with a 5,000 kg cover stone.

Para el visitante: On the Markt in the old town; check opening times for the church and tower.

On 29 December 1653 Vermeer joined the Guild of Saint Luke, the trade association for Delft's painters. He rose to lead it: elected head in 1662, then re-elected in 1663, 1670 and 1671, a sign that his peers saw him as an established craftsman. Today the Vermeer Centre stands in the rebuilt guild house, which makes it the natural place to start a visit.

Precisión del lugar: The pin marks the Vermeer Centre on the Voldersgracht; the sources do not locate the original guild house.

Para el visitante: Look for the Vermeer Centre in the rebuilt Guild house of St Luke.

On 12 October 1654 a gunpowder store exploded, destroying much of Delft. The magazine stood in a former convent where the Paardenmarkt is now, and the blast became known as the Delft Thunderclap. It is remembered above all for killing Carel Fabritius, called Rembrandt's most promising pupil, and for destroying nearly all his works. Vermeer had joined the painters' guild less than a year earlier.

Precisión del lugar: The pin marks the Paardenmarkt; the sources place the magazine in that district without a precise spot.

Para el visitante: The Paardenmarkt is a public square in the old town.

Vermeer's The Little Street is one of only three paintings by him that show views of Delft. Where it was painted has long been argued: some studies favour the Voldersgracht, others Nieuwe Langendijk. Archive research in 2015 pointed to Vlamingstraat, numbers 40 and 42, a street with a narrow canal. The house on the right belonged to Vermeer's aunt, who sold tripe, and the passageway beside it was known as the Penspoort, or Tripe Gate.

Precisión del lugar: Scholars disagree about the street; the pin marks the 2015 identification on Vlamingstraat.

Para el visitante: Walk to Vlamingstraat to compare the narrow canal and houses with the painting.

Vermeer painted View of Delft from a raised position southeast of the city, possibly an upper floor of the Mechelen tavern where his studio was. It shows the Rotterdam Gate and the Schiedam Gate on the south side. Behind the gates rises the Nieuwe Kerk, shifted toward the centre to make it more prominent. The painting was finished by 1661.

Precisión del lugar: The exact spot is unknown; the pin marks the south bank of the Delft canals facing the old town.

Para el visitante: Stand on the south side of the canal and look north to compare the skyline.

Vermeer died on 15 December 1675 after a short illness, aged 43, and was buried the same day in the Protestant Old Church. About 400 people are entombed there, among them the microscope pioneer Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. The church's tower leans, because its foundations were not strong enough to support the building.

Para el visitante: A working church in the old town; check opening times before you go.