Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts

Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) was a Dutch painter during the Baroque Period. During his lifetime he only achieved a moderate degree of success; upon his death, his family was left in debt and his paintings faded into obscurity. His work was rediscovered in the 19th century and since then his reputation has grown. Posthumously, he is known as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age. His paintings tend to feature sophisticated depictions of light and detailed scenes of domestic life. Vermeer worked very slowly and carefully, so he wasn’t very prolific. Today, only 34 paintings have successfully been attributed to him. Six of these will be on display at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, including The Procuress.