The Geographer – Reconstruction after Johannes Vermeer
Commissioned and sold
For a client, I created an exact reconstruction of The Geographer by Johannes Vermeer. Not only the painting itself, but also the linen, the ground preparation, and the frame were made using traditional 17th-century methods.
Though modest in size, the painting is remarkably delicate and finely executed. What makes it so compelling to recreate is not just the refinement of the brushwork, but also the stillness the image conveys and the beautiful way light moves through the scene.
After participating in the Dutch television program De Nieuwe Vermeer (Omroep MAX) – where I brought a lost Vermeer painting back to life and even received coverage in The New York Times – I received numerous requests to create similar reconstructions. I didn’t accept every commission, and I never painted the same Vermeer twice, but this particular painting had long captured my interest.
The reconstruction took several months to complete. The frame, too, was handcrafted using techniques faithful to the 17th century. The result is a total work – a reconstruction that aims not only to replicate the image, but also to revive the materials and spirit of Vermeer’s time.
