VERMEER PAGES        NO. 2        HOW VERMEER PAINTED THE   "GIRL WITH A RED HAT "                    VERMEER LINKS

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Girl with a Red Hat
1665

 Vermeer's Basic Painting Method

Girl with a Red Hat is one of Vermeer's simplest and most spontaneous pictures, a tiny masterpiece of light and intimacy. It was painted using a step by step method that he had developed in his earlier paintings. This method subdivides work into distinct stages allowing the artist  to concentrate on one aspect of technique at a time. Given its relative simplicity and excellent state of conservation, we can illustrate with a fair degree of certainty his procedure that consisted in five principal stages.

1.   preparation of support
2.   outline drawing of fundamental contours
3.   monochrome underpainting
4.   wet in wet application of local color 
5.   glazing and final touches

                               		              VERMEER PAGES

       1.  Vermeer: Master Composer

       2.    How Vermeer  painted the
              " Girl with a Red Hat"

      3. A "Hidden Vermeer"

                            


           

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published: 06/03/2001