This is an elegantly bound study chronicling the work of the artist who uniquely exemplified Holland's Golden Age, with all of his paintings stunningly reproduced for the first time in a single volume. The mystery underlying Vermeer's use of light and perspective has led to an almost cult-like appreciation of his work. Vermeer profiles his life and works within the context of contemporary artists of the period, and examines his social and domestic environment and how they shaped his work. A modestly successful painter and art dealer who spent his entire life in the city of Delft, Vermeer was regarded as a provincial artist during his lifetime and was almost entirely forgotten after his death. But in the 19th century he was 'rediscovered' and since the beginning of the twentieth has been considered one of the finest painters in history. This lavishly illustrated edition includes reproductions of all of Vermeer's paintings, many of the works of his contemporaries, and documents relating to his life and city, Delft.