As the Rijksmuseum busily prepares for the largest-ever exhibition of Vermeer’s work scheduled for 2023, experts have discovered a pitcher holder and basket hidden within the famous painting.
Experts have discovered a pitcher holder and a basket hidden in the painting The milk girl of the Dutch master of the XVIIe century Johannes Vermeer, over which he then painted, announced Thursday, September 8 the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The “surprising” Discoveries in the over 350-year-old tome shed new light on the elusive artist’s methods, ahead of the largest-ever exhibition of his work scheduled for 2023 at the Rijksmuseum.
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Advanced scanning techniques revealed that beneath the plain white wall that makes the milkmaid’s bright yellow and blue clothing stand out, Vermeer had originally painted additional detail. “It reveals an unexpected new Vermeer, it’s astounding”said Gregor Weber, head of fine arts at the Rijksmuseum, at a press conference.
These changes mean that the iconic figure of the milkmaid, seen in the painting pouring a trickle of milk from an earthenware jug, “stands before us in a much more monumental way”he notes.
Researchers knew from X-rays taken a decade ago that there were things hidden under the layers of paint on The milk girlwithout knowing which ones.
“Too loaded”
One of the most important findings is that the artist had sketched a wooden pitcher rack on the wall just behind the milkmaid’s head. They had previously thought it might be a fireplace. But a new technique, called “short wavelength infrared reflectance”clearly showed the details of the jugs and the wooden frame.
Usually used for industrial inspections and for military purposes, the technique produces images in “false colors” which show the sketch in blue, when in reality it was in black paint.
The museum used similar methods to uncover the creative process behind The Night Watch by Rembrandt and The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer, a painter of whom no drawing or study remains.
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“What we discovered with The milk girl, is that initially, she did not have a very beautiful white wall behind her. No, there was a hanging shelf with jugs», Taco Dibbits, director of the Rijksmuseum, told AFP. Upon reflection, Vermeer said to himself: “this is a composition too busy, I’m going to repaint it”he says.
“Less is more”
Experts have made another key discovery: a previously spotted shaded outline can now be considered a “fire basket”, woven of willow, used at the time to ventilate clothes. The researchers further found a thick line of black paint “hastily applied” under the milkmaid’s left arm, showing that Vermeer had apparently made a quick initial sketch.
All objects and details have been covered with paint by Vermeer in his quest for perfection. The pitcher rack was later replaced with the crisp white wall, while the basket became a much smaller foot warmer. The changes he made would be crucial for his later works, painted in simplicity with blocks of color and a play of light and shadow. We find them in particular in his emblematic work The Girl with a Pearl Earringwhich will also be part of the flagship exhibition, experts said. “He learned that less is more”said Gregor Weber.
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The exhibition scheduled from February 10 to June 4, 2023, will bring together 27 of the painter’s 35 works, from museums around the world. Little is known about Vermeer (1632-1675), who lived a modest life in the city of Delft during the “golden age” of Dutch painting. “This will be the first and last time the public will be able to see 27 Vermeers together,” highlights Taco Dibbits.