Vermeer's Use of the Camera Obscura — A Comparative Study

Abstract

Aspects of Johannes Vermeer's paintings have continued to puzzle critics ever since his rediscovery over a century ago because certain formal elements of his paintings are seldom if ever seen in the work of other artists. To some these elements appeared to be painted optical phenomena which suggested that Vermeer might have employed a camera obscura. P. T. A. Swillens, Vermeer's thorough biographer, learned very little through a lifetime of investigation about Vermeer's use of the instrument. In The Art Bulletin in 1964 Charles Seymour gave the results of experimentation he had performed which centered on characteristics of two small panels in the National Gallery in Washington, Girl with a Flute, and Girl with a Red Hat.¹ After studying images formed by a camera obscura Mr. Seymour concluded that Vermeer had indeed used the instrument, “the dark chamber trained on the light-filled room.”² Mr. Seymour termed his work “preliminary” and suggested that more research would be profitable. Subsequently, Heinrich Schwartz concluded in an article in Pantheon that “… no agreement on this matter [Vermeer's use of the camera obscura] has yet been reached.”³