From about 1650 onward, themes of domestic and social life (now summarily known as genre scenes) flourished in the Dutch Republic, in good part because of the affluence and sense of well-being that came with the end of the Eighty Years' War against Spain in 1648, when the Netherlands became an independent country. While dozens of highly gifted artists produced genre pictures for private collectors, two masters—the comparatively peripatetic Gerard ter Borch and the rather isolated Delft artist Johannes Vermeer—excelled in acute observation and exquisite refinements. Their personal styles favor tactile qualities (Ter Borch's astonishing descriptions of satin and other fabrics, for example), on the one hand, and optical sensations, on the other. In his preoccupation with effects of light and precisely poised designs, Vermeer depicted more beautiful images of "everyday life" than he ever saw.
Note: This gallery is temporarily closed to the public due to a construction project. Visitors to the Museum may inquire at the Information Desk in the Great Hall for more information.
