Andrew Graham-Dixon's biography of Johannes Vermeer, "Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found," is now available as an audiobook, narrated by the author himself. The six-year project aims to answer unresolved questions about the Dutch artist, including the nature of his life, his painting methods, and the intent behind his 36 surviving works.
Vermeer's Rise from Obscurity
In the decades after Vermeer's death in 1675, few knew his name or work. His paintings were so unknown that they were sold with forged signatures of more popular artists attached. This changed in the mid-19th century when French critics reassessed his art. Today, Vermeer is one of the most admired painters in the world, although Graham-Dixon notes he has "proved stubbornly resistant to interpretation."
Unlike his Dutch genre painter contemporaries, the Delft-born Vermeer painted solemn yet luminous works featuring women in domestic settings, engaged in activities such as reading, writing, playing music, or pouring milk. His ability to render light and its softening effect on rooms and people was unparalleled.
Narration and New Perspectives
Graham-Dixon's reading is sharp, authoritative, and animated. Besides conjuring the world Vermeer inhabited and theorising about his relationship with his patrons, the author offers an intriguing new perspective on the identity of the figure in The Girl With the Pearl Earring, though he admits it is impossible to prove.
For those doubting whether audio is the best medium to explore the life and work of a Dutch master, the audiobook includes an attached file with copious colour plates of Vermeer's paintings. It is available via Penguin and runs 15 hours and 1 minute.
