As Google Doodle is celebrating a once-forgotten Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, let us take a look at his personal life. Was he gay?
Johannes Vermeer was a moderately successful Dutch Baroque Period painter who passed away at the age of 43.
He was famous for capturing the domestic interior scenes of middle-class life in exquisite detail. He was often referred to as the ‘king of colors’ as he frequently used expensive colors for his artwork.
Most of his paintings feature the same paintings and decorations and are set in two small rooms of his house in Delft. Besides, he was also an avid art collector and dealer.
He was born in October 1632 in Delft, Holland. He dedicated his life to his art and lived a quiet life. He heavily stayed out of public attention and very little was known about him until recently.
In fact, the little information discovered about him was from some registers and official documents until the 19th century when he was rediscovered by Gustav Fredrick Waagen and Theophile Thore-Burger.
“’Cause the last time that we talked seems like forever, and ever” – Niall Horan
Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window – Johannes Vermeer pic.twitter.com/OXUu4JCrQD
— art as niall (@niallartbot) November 8, 2021
Fact Check: Was Johannes Vermeer Gay? Wife Or Husband
No, Johannes Vermeer was not gay and did not have a husband. He was married to a woman and had fifteen children with his wife.
The celebrated painter married his wife, Catharina Bolenas in April 1653. He was 21 years old at the time of his marriage.
His wife was a Catholic woman and came from a wealthier family than Vermeer. Catharina’s mother, Maria insisted he convert to Catholicism.
After marriage, the couple moved into Maria’s house in Delft’s Catholic quarters.
Although they welcomed a total of 15 children, some of their kids died before being baptized.
Σήμερα το Google τιμά τον ζωγράφο Johannes Vermeer.Γεννήθηκε στο Ντελφτ της Νότιας Ολλανδίας το 1632 και πέθανε το 1675.Συνολικά στην ζωή του δημιούργησε περίπου 45 πίνακες με την τεχνική camera obscura.Κυρίως τα έργα του ήταν καθημερινές σκηνές από την ζωή της μεσαίας τάξης. pic.twitter.com/j9za1pP3tS
— ʀᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴏɪʀ ʙɪᴛᴄʜ (@byVentress) November 12, 2021
Johannes Vermeer Paintings
Unlike other painters in the 17th century, Johannes Vermeer did not produce paintings on a large scale.
He painted no more than 60 paintings in total, out of which only 35 oil paintings survived, as per cnet.com. Vermeer was famous for being a painter of women.
Among all his artwork, he painted 42 women and 13 men. However, he did not reveal the name of any women he captured on his canvas.
He captured one particular woman four times. This led to speculations that the woman was perhaps his wife, as she appeared pregnant in two paintings.
What Is Johannes Vermeer Net Worth?
No data is available regarding Johannes Vermeer’s verified net worth.
However, it is believed he did not make much money as he produced relatively few paintings.
He was not wealthy himself and left his family in debt after his demise, as per his Wikipedia.