The Procuress Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)

Description of Jan Vermeer’s painting "At the Procurer’s

This artist was very fond of painting genre canvases. He enjoyed depicting everyday life on canvas. But, at the same time, he never gave up portraits either. At least one of his most famous portraits is still dearly appreciated and quite popular among fans of Scandinavian painting. This is Portrait of a Girl with a Pearl. Hollywood somehow splurged and made a film based on this painting.

As for this painting, it is somewhat frivolous. The author not infrequently resorted to the services of a pimp, and apparently took the risk to show this side of life. There are four people on the canvas, two women and two men. All of them are standing at a table covered with a rich tablecloth, or is it a blanket, we can’t say exactly. We caught them just as the payment for future pleasures begins, and this payment is being showered with good wine.

But not everyone is drinking. Only the girl, who is quite embarrassed, but compliant. And a man drinks, but not the one who bought her services, but the one who came with him to the pimp. Behind them, though, is the panderer. A greedy face, hungry for as much payment as possible.

Even though she has already been paid. The girl is embarrassed and, apparently, this is the first time such a visit from a man has occurred to her and she does not yet know how to behave. But the man who bought her is already beginning to make some intimate gestures - he gently takes her breast with his hand and whispers something in her ear, giving her a coin in the palm of his hand.

Needless to say, Vermeer came under sharp fire from the nobility and the church. There was censorship at the time, and it was clear to everyone what he was and wasn’t allowed to depict on canvases. Vermeer disregarded the rules and therefore was in fact already renounced his faith.

Orders for portraits and other more peaceful canvases saved him. Of course, saved by the same "Girl with a Pearl", but only until it became known that the painting depicts not a noble lady, but a simple servant girl with whom the married author was wound up the affair. Then there was even more noise, but this is about another...