The Geographer, Johannes Vermeer
Johannes Vermeer
The Geographer
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Related external works

counterpart

Johannes Vermeer: Der Astronom, 1668, Öl auf Leinwand, 51 x 45 cm, Inv.-Nr. R.F. 1983-28, Musée du Louvre, Paris

Johannes Vermeer

The Geographer, 1669


Malfläche
51.6 x 45.4 cm
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Inventory Number
1149
Acquisition
Acquired in 1885
Status
On display, 2nd upper level, Old Masters, room 7

Texts

About the Work

The geographer has just been measuring distances on a map with his compass; now, he pauses for thought. The globe and the map on the wall represent the state of the art of cartography, which the Netherlands pioneered. The former features Europe’s coastlines, the latter the Indian Ocean, an important body of water for the country’s maritime-trade-based economy. Yet the work is neither a portrait nor does it tell a story. With painterly means, Vermeer endeavoured to capture the moment in which the geographer surveys the world in his mind.

Audio & Video

  • Basic information
    01:18
  • Focus on cultural history
    01:40
  • Focus on material
    02:03
  • Highlights of the Städel Collection
    02:18
KunstIStück – Johannes Vermeer: Der Geograf
Sammlungshighlights des Städel Museums in unterhaltsamen und informativen Filmen – das sind die Kunst|Stücke. Entdecken Sie spannende Details zu Kunstwerken aus ungewöhnlichen Blickwinkeln in unter zwei Minuten. Johannes Vermeer: Der Geograf (1669), Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main. https://sammlung.staedelmuseum.de/de/werk/der-geograf#yt

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Last update

10.09.2024