From a bankrupt minor master in his own day Jan Vermeer has risen inexorably to eclipse all his rivals, even the most famous and celebrated, to achieve Superstar status. Looking at the surprisingly few paintings which make up the artist's oeuvre, we will reveal the astonishing effects of light he was able to achieve--unique works made using the same raw materials as all the others, but transformed by an exceptional genius of seeing into something magical (and probably unrepeatable, if all the stumbling imitations and fakes are any indication). We also look at the Dutch Golden Age, the Fijn-schilder, and the laughable fakes of Van Meegeren, which fooled the world in the 1940s. Greatest of All Time?... depends what you’re looking for.

2.00pm - £5.00

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