‘Vermeer’ Work That May Not Be Artist’s Will Stand Alongside Originals Anyway

Next year, Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum will present what’s believed to be the most extensive Johannes Vermeer exhibition to date, with 28 of the artist’s 35 paintings going on show. 

There’s just one small problem—one of the works up for display may not have been painted by the Dutch artist himself. 

Unlike in the movies, the actual artwork hasn’t been replaced by a deceptive forgery. Instead, experts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, which owns Girl With A Flute (1665/1675), recently determined that the painting was likely from one of Vermeer’s proteges, and not the Golden Age master himself. 

According to The New York Times, the curators concluded the work could have been painted by a studio associate, pupil, apprentice, or even a member of Vermeer’s family, as it appeared to lack the precision the artist usually showcased, with the brushwork being described as “awkward.” 

Despite this, the National Gallery has still agreed to loan the piece to Rijksmuseum, with the Dutch museum confirming it will still be attributing the work to Vermeer. 

In an interview with The Guardian, Taco Dibbits, director of the Rijksmuseum, said that after completing research on 10 Vermeer paintings, the museum discussed its results with Washington, and chose to declare the work as genuine using its “more inclusive” findings. 

Explaining that attribution was “not a hard science,” Dibbits added that through the course of his career, Vermeer was an innovative artist who chose not to stick to one style of art, and as such, the museum believes the painting in question was created by him. 

Girl With A Flute, along with three other Vermeers from the National Gallery’s collection, will be open to the public for viewing at Rijksmuseum from February 10, 2023. 

[via Artnet News and The New York Times, cover image via National Gallery of Art / Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)]