Jan Vermeer was the master of painting simple tasks, often performed by women, and make the viewer see new and intense things in their everyday life. This way of painting was unique at the time and was described as “daringly original”. With a few exceptions, including some landscapes, street scenes, and portraits, Vermeer painted sunlit domestic interiors in which one or two figures are shown engaged in reading, writing or playing musical instruments.

He was born in Delft in 1632 and lived and worked there his whole life. He made a modest living as an art dealer rather than as a painter. He took over the running of his father’s inn when the father died. On 20 April 1653 Vermeer married Catharina Bolnes. They got 15 children together but 4 of them died at young age.

Only 35 of Vermeer’s canvases have survived. This small number can be the result of Vermeer's methodical work habits, comparatively short life and that he probably painted very little for the public art market, most of his work being produced for those patrons who particularly valued his work. After 1672 he got in financial difficluties because caused by the war between France and the Netherlands. He died on December 15, 1675 and he was buried in the family grave at the Oude Kerk in Delft.

Not much is known about his life, maybe because his work were forgotten after his death and not recognized again until the late 19th century. Among his paintings are The Milkmaid (1658), The Glass of Wine (1659-1660) and Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665).