Johannes Vermeer or Jan Vermeer (1632–1675) was a Dutch painter who specialized in genre works. The son of a Protestant minister, he studied theology as a teenager and subsequently trained as a painter in Leiden. However, on the death of his father in 1652, Vermeer abandoned his studies and took up art. In oil or silver, he achieved such success over the next twenty years that by 1669 he was able to buy an estate and marry. Unfortunately, his family later fell on hard times and this combined with mounting gambling debts caused him to sell both properties to pay his creditors.

10 Stunning Artwork of Jan Vermeer

1. A Lady and Two Gentlemen c. 1659

2. A Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman 1662-65

3. A Lady Drinking and a Gentleman c. 1658

4. A Lady Writing a Letter 1665-66

5. A Woman Asleep at Table c. 1657

6. Christ in the House of Martha and Mary 1654-55

7. Diana and her Companions 1655-56

8. Girl Interrupted at Her Music 1660-61

9. Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window 1657

10. Girl with a Pearl Earring c. 1665