Vermeer's Secrets, National Gallery of Art, Washington

Attributed to Johannes Vermeer Girl with a Flute, probably 1665/16754 | National Gallery of Art, Washington | Photo: Courtesy of National Gallery of Art, Washington

Was Girl with a Flute (pictured above) actually painted by the 17th century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer? This is one of the questions the team behind the upcoming exhibition Vermeer’s Secrets hopes to answer. On view at the National Gallery of Art from October 8, 2022, Vermeer’s Secrets will unveil new findings about the artist and his process offer and a behind-the-scenes look at how National Gallery curators, conservators, and scientists investigated the museum’s four treasured paintings by and attributed to Vermeer—as well as two 20th-century forgeries.

Among the jewels of the collection and rarely off view during normal times, the team took advantage of the museum’s COVID-related closures in 2020/2021 to examine and compared the museum’s four works. The resulting exhibition, Vermeer’s Secrets, presents their findings (including their answer to the attribution of Girl with Flute) and new insights into artist’s process and technique.

Vermeer’s Secrets opens at the National Gallery of Art, Washington on October 8, 2022.

For more information visit NGA