Event—Adult Education

The World of Vermeer’s Women: Art, Fashion, and Fiction

Of the thirty-six paintings attributed to Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), twenty-nine feature women.

Cost and Registration Information

Early Registration Price (by February 10): $200
Regular Price (after February 10): $220

Register Here

Seminar Description

Of the thirty-six paintings attributed to Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), twenty-nine feature women. Their ties to Vermeer remain unknown, but his paintings present a vivid portrait of life in the prosperous households of seventeenth-century Delft. Using key paintings, as well as a trio of contemporary novels, this six-week seminar will explore domestic activity, material luxury, and cutting edge fashion in the Dutch Golden Age. Six sessions.

Debra N. Mancoff—author of Fashion Muse; Danger! Women Artists at Work; and Icons of Beauty: Art, Culture, and the Image of Women—writes on art, fashion, and culture.

Materials List

Required:

  • Tracey Chevalier, Girl with the Pearl Earring. Penguin: ISBN-13: 978-0452282155
  • Deborah Moggach, Tulip Fever. Dial Press ISBN-13: 978-0385334921
  • Dominic Smith, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. Sarah Crichton Books. ISBN-13: 978-0374106683

Recommended:

  • Wayne Frantis, Vermeer. Phaidon Press ISBN-13: 978-0714868790

These are suggested editions, but participants can purchase any edition they like.

First Readings:

  • None

This class is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about our registration procedures.