In this new monograph, the latest in Phaidon’s Art and Ideas series, Wayne Franits examines the work of Vermeer within the framework of his times, one of the most intellectually creative periods in this history of art. Written in a lively and accessible style, and incorporating the latest scholarship on the artist, Franits provides fresh insights into many of Vermeer`s most famous works, uncovering the creative process behind them and their wealth of meanings.

Wayne Franits, a specialist in seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish art, is Professor of Art History at Syracuse University, New York. His numerous publications have explored a variety of topics within the field, ranging from genre painting and portraiture to the work of the Dutch followers of Caravaggio.

Content and sections
Preface
Beginnings 1632–56
Expanding Horizons 1656–62
Purveyor of Luxury Goods 1662–68
Full Maturity 1668–72
Endgame 1672–75
A Man for All Seasons 1676–2015