Traces of Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer's luminous paintings are loved and admired around the world, yet we do not understand how they were made. We see sunlit spaces; the glimmer of satin, silver, and linen; we see the softness of a hand on a lute string or letter. We recognize the distilled impression of a moment of time; and we feel it to be real.
We might hope for some answers from the experts, but they are confounded too. Even with the modern technology available, they do not know why there is no evidence of any preliminary drawing; why there are shifts in focus; and why his pictures are unusually blurred. Some wonder if he might possibly have used a camera obscura to capture what he saw before him. The few traces Vermeer has left behind tell us little: there are no letters or diaries; and no reports of him at work.

Jane Jelley has taken a new path in this detective story. A painter herself, she has worked with the materials of his time: the cochineal insect and lapis lazuli; the sheep bones, soot, earth, and rust. She shows us how painters made their pictures layer by layer; she investigates old secrets; and hears travelers' tales. She explores how Vermeer could have used a lens in the creation of his masterpieces.

The clues were there all along. After all this time, now we can unlock the studio door, and catch a glimpse of Vermeer inside, painting light.

Johannes Vermeer's luminous paintings are loved and admired around the world, yet we do not understand how they were made. We see sunlit spaces; the glimmer of satin, silver, and linen; we see the softness of a hand on a lute string or letter. We recognise the distilled impression of a moment of time; and we feel it to be real. We might hope for some answers from the experts, but they are confounded too. Even with the modern technology available, they do not know why there is no evidence of any preliminary drawing; why there are shifts in focus; and why his pictures are unusually blurred. Some wonder if he might possibly have used a camera obscura to capture what he saw before him. The few traces Vermeer has left behind tell us little: there are no letters or diaries; and no reports of him at work.

Featuring wonderful illustrations, engaging prose, and a deep knowledge of the craft, this is a study in art history and methodology to delight an audience beyond just visual artists. - Kirkus, Starred Review

Artist Jane Jelley probed the issue pragmatically. Before assessing any use of camera obscura, she investigates the tools, materials and studio Vermeer was known to have used, and his virtuosic layering of paint. - Nature

I find this revelatory and wholly convincing. Jelley devotes a chapter to the history of art innovation, in a Netherlands that was the California of its day, and explores it in depth. - The Guardian

A fascinating exercise and assay, Traces of Vermeer (Oxford) serves as an elucidating technical accompaniment to the broader scope of Vermeer in Detail... Jelley's engaging prose is a boon to both scholars and casual art appreciators. - Politics & Prose

Traces of Vermeer, a meaty and intensely interesting new book by Jane Jelley... Through her own understanding of the craft, she comes as close as anybody can to understanding both the mechanics and the inner lives of masterpieces like 'A Lady Writing, ' 'Young Woman with a Water Jug, ' 'A Woman Holding a Balance, ' or 'Girl with a Pearl Earring.' And she's bluntly honest enough to acknowledge repeatedly that these investigations only reach so far. - Christian Science Monitor

First, it should be noted that her writing is elegant and clear, and she accurately summarizes much of the scholarly background on Vermeer, his home life, the Dutch Golden Age, and more. She has deep historical and practical knowledge of pigments, supports, and mixing practices likely used by Vermeer. - Leonardo

To be sure, Traces of Vermeer is an invitation for us to not only embrace Vermeer's world, but to also ask or decipher to what degree he may, or may not have used some sort of lens through a camera obscura. - David Marx Book Review

This is not another speculative Vermeer biography, a fill-in-the-gaps, guesswork life. This is Vermeer the painter, by a painter.... Jelley's meticulous approach yields fascinating insights.' - Literary Review

Well-researched... vivid... fascinating. - Tablet

Magnificent. - Al Femminile

A fascinating approach that throws up a plethora of intriguing details that add to the texture of Vermeer's life and technique... Jelley's ingenious experiment offer[s] a plausible suggestion as to how he set about his magical paintings. - Sunday Times

Traces of Vermeer is an intriguing account of artistic practice... [Jane Jelley's] writing is fluid and poetic, and this publication is an enjoyable read, feeling like a detective story from the outset... [the] discoveries made by the author in this book... give us valuable insights that will influence the way we view and interpret Vermeer's paintings and mysterious working practices. -- Laura Hinde, The Picture Restorer

An absolute delight. A rich and highly original exploration of Vermeer's life and work seen through the eyes of a practising painter. - Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe

Jane Jelley adds a unique perspective on Vermeer's techniques and style. - Johan Wagemans, University of Leuven