The Concert (Vermeer)

Last updated
The Concert
Vermeer The concert.JPG
Artist Johannes Vermeer
Yearcirca 1664
Medium Oil on canvas
Movement Dutch Golden Age painting
Dimensions72.5 cm× 64.7 cm(28.5 in× 25.5 in)
LocationWhereabouts unknown since the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft in 1990

The Concert (Dutch: Het concert) (c. 1664) is a painting by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer depicting a man and two women performing music. It was stolen on March 18, 1990, from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and remains missing. [1] Experts believe it may be the most valuable stolen object in the world; [2] [3] as of 2015, it was valued at US$250 million. [4]

Contents

History

Although The Concert has been dated stylistically to the mid-1660s, it is first documented only in 1780. [5] It was acquired by Isabella Stewart Gardner in an 1892 auction in Paris for $5,000 [6] and subsequently displayed in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. On the night of March 18, 1990, thieves disguised as policemen stole 13 works from the museum, including The Concert. To this day the painting has not resurfaced; it is thought to be the most valuable work currently unrecovered, with a value estimated at US$250 million. [4] [3]

Description

The picture measures 28.5 by 25.5 inches (72.5 by 64.7 centimetres) and shows three musicians: a young woman sitting at a harpsichord, a man playing the lute, and a woman who is singing. The harpsichord's upturned lid is decorated with an Arcadian landscape; its bright coloring stands in contrast to the two paintings hanging on the wall to the right and left. A viola da gamba can be seen lying on the floor. The musicians' clothing and surroundings identify them as members of the upper bourgeoisie. The male lute player, for instance, wears a shoulder belt and a sword. Despite its simplicity, the black and white marble flooring is luxurious and expensive. [7]

Of the two paintings in the background, the one on the right is The Procuress by Dirck Van Baburen (c. 1622), which belonged to Vermeer's mother-in-law, Maria Thins. The work also appears in his Lady Seated at a Virginal , probably painted some six years after The Concert. The painting on the left is a wild pastoral landscape. The musical theme in Dutch painting in Vermeer's time often connoted love and seduction, but in this case the feeling is more ambiguous. Although the presence of Van Baburen's sexually exuberant picture suggests such an interpretation, its function may be to provide a contrast with the actual domestic situation. In the same way, the peaceful scenes depicted on the harpsichord contrast with the wild landscape painting on the wall. [5]

Other arts

Even before the actual robbery, the theft of this painting was the subject of a 1964 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour called "Ten Minutes from Now". [8] [9] Following the real theft, the stolen painting has figured in the novels An Object of Beauty (2010) by Steve Martin; [10] The Medusa Plot (2011) by Gordon Korman; [11] and The Collector (2023) by Daniel Silva. [12] In addition, in Tracy Chevalier's historical novel Girl with a Pearl Earring (1999), Vermeer paints The Concert at the same time that he is painting Girl with a Pearl Earring , an event also portrayed in the 2003 film adaptation. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum</span> Art museum in Boston, Massachusetts

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts, which houses significant examples of European, Asian, and American art. Its collection includes paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts. It was founded by Isabella Stewart Gardner, whose will called for her art collection to be permanently exhibited "for the education and enjoyment of the public forever."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art theft</span> Stealing of paintings or sculptures from museums

Art theft, sometimes called artnapping, is the stealing of paintings, sculptures, or other forms of visual art from galleries, museums or other public and private locations. Stolen art is often resold or used by criminals as collateral to secure loans. Only a small percentage of stolen art is recovered—an estimated 10%. Many nations operate police squads to investigate art theft and illegal trade in stolen art and antiquities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirck van Baburen</span> Dutch painter (c.1595–1624)

Dirck Jaspersz. van Baburen was a Dutch painter and one of the Utrecht Caravaggisti.

Harold Smith was a noted investigator and detective.

<i>The Love Letter</i> (Vermeer) 1669–1670 painting by Johannes Vermeer

The Love Letter is a 17th-century genre painting by Jan Vermeer. The painting shows a servant maid commenting to her mistress on a letter the woman holds. The painting is in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

<i>Girl with a Pearl Earring</i> (novel) 1999 novel by Tracy Chevalier

Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 1999 historical novel written by Tracy Chevalier. Set in 17th-century Delft, Holland, the novel was inspired by local painter Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. Chevalier presents a fictional account of Vermeer, the model and the painting. The novel was adapted into a 2003 film of the same name and a 2008 play. In May 2020, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a new dramatisation of the novel.

<i>The Storm on the Sea of Galilee</i> Stolen 1633 painting by Rembrandt

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee is a 1633 oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Golden Age painter Rembrandt van Rijn. It is classified as a historical painting and is among the largest and earliest of Rembrandt's works. It was purchased by Bernard Berenson for Isabella Stewart Gardner in 1869 and was displayed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston before its theft in 1990; it remains missing. The painting depicts the biblical event in which Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, as is described in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark. It is Rembrandt's only seascape.

<i>Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid</i> 1670–1671 painting by Johannes Vermeer

Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid is a painting by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, completed in 1670–1671 and held in the National Gallery of Ireland, in Dublin. The work shows a middle-class woman attended by a housemaid who is presumably acting as messenger and go-between for the lady and her lover. The work is seen as a bridge between the quiet restraint and self-containment of Vermeer's work of the 1660s and his relatively cooler work of the 1670s. It may have been partly inspired by Ter Borch's painting Woman Sealing a Letter. The painting's canvas was almost certainly cut from the same bolt used for Woman with a Lute.

<i>Woman with a Lute</i> 1660s painting of Johannes Vermeer

Woman with a Lute, also known as Woman with a Lute Near a Window, is a painting created about 1662–1663 by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer and now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

<i>Lady Seated at a Virginal</i> 1670–1672 painting by Johannes Vermeer

Lady Seated at a Virginal, also known as Young Woman Seated at a Virginal, is a genre painting created by the Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer in about 1670–1672 and now in the National Gallery, London.

Jonathan Janson is an American painter and art historian.

The Art Loss Register (ALR) is the world's largest database of stolen art. A computerized international database that captures information about lost and stolen art, antiques, and collectibles, the ALR is a London-based, independent, for-profit corporate offspring of the New York–based, nonprofit International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR). The range of functions served by ALR has grown as the number of its listed items has increased. The database is used by collectors, the art trade, insurers, and law enforcement agencies worldwide. In 1991, IFAR helped create the ALR as a commercial enterprise to expand and market the database. IFAR managed ALR's U.S. operations through 1997. In 1998, the ALR assumed full responsibility for the IFAR database, although IFAR retains ownership. In 1992, the database comprised only 20,000 items, but it grew in size nearly tenfold during its first decade.

<i>The Procuress</i> (Dirck van Baburen) Number of similar paintings by the Dutch Golden Age painter Dirck van Baburen

The Procuress is the name given to a number of similar paintings by the Dutch Golden Age painter Dirck van Baburen. The painting is in the Caravaggiesque style of the Utrecht school.

<i>Landscape with Obelisk</i> Stolen and missing painting by Govert Flinck

Landscape with Obelisk is a painting by Dutch artist Govert Flinck, painted in 1638. The oil-on-wood painting measures 54.5 by 71 centimetres. It was formerly attributed to Rembrandt. The painting hung in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, prior to being stolen in 1990.

<i>A Lady and Gentleman in Black</i> Stolen and missing 1633 painting by Rembrandt

A Lady and Gentleman in Black is a painting by the Dutch artist Rembrandt, painted in 1633. The oil-on-canvas painting, measuring 131.6 by 109 centimetres, depicts a well-dressed husband and wife. The painting hung in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Boston, Massachusetts, prior to being one of 13 works stolen from the museum in a 1990 theft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft</span> 1990 art theft in Boston

In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Guards admitted two men posing as police officers responding to a disturbance call, and the thieves bound the guards and looted the museum over the next hour. The case is unsolved; no arrests have been made, and no works have been recovered. The stolen works have been valued at hundreds of millions of dollars by the FBI and art dealers. The museum offers a $10 million reward for information leading to the art's recovery, the largest bounty ever offered by a private institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Donati</span> American gangster (1940–1991)

Robert Donati – who went by the name of Bobby and was also known by the nickname Bobby D – was an American career criminal. Along with his twin brother Richard, he was associated with the New England-based Patriarca crime family. His criminal history dates to 1958, when he was 17. He and his brothers were long believed to be part of the Angiulo Brothers' crew, with whom they carried out burglaries.

The Collector is a 2023 novel by Daniel Silva, the 23rd novel in the author's Gabriel Allon series. The book debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list.

The Woman Who Stole Vermeer: The True Story of Rose Dugdale and the Russborough House Art Heist is a 2020 biography of Rose Dugdale written by Anthony M. Amore.

References

  1. ↑ "The $500 Million Gardner Museum Heist: Have You Seen These Paintings?". Time Magazine. March 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ Gardner Museum 2018, p. 32.
  3. 1 2 Boser 2009, p. 37.
  4. 1 2 Kurkjian 2015, p. 50.
  5. 1 2 Janson, Jonathan. "Understanding The Concert by Johannes Vermeer". Essential Vermeer.
  6. ↑ Gardner Museum
  7. ↑ Montias, John Michael (1991). Vermeer and His Milieu. Princeton University Press. p. 192. ISBN   9780691002897.
  8. ↑ Noted under Trivia in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Ten Minutes from Now at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  9. ↑ "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour - Ten Minutes from Now". The Hitchcock Zone.
  10. ↑ Martin, Steve (2010). An Object of Beauty. Hachette UK. ISBN   9780297863311.
  11. ↑ Korman, Gordon (2011). The Medusa Plot. New York: Scholastic. p. 132. ISBN   9780545324090.
  12. ↑ Silva, Daniel (2023). The Collector. New York: Harper. ISBN   9780062834874.
  13. ↑ Linda Costanzo Cahir, Literature into Film: Theory and Practical Approaches, McFarland, 2014, p.252

Bibliography

  • Kurkjian, Stephen (2015). Master Thieves: The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled Off the World's Greatest Art Heist. New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN   978-1-61039-632-5.
  • Boser, Ulrich (2009). The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0-06-145184-3.
  • Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (2018). Stolen. Carlisle, Massachusetts: Benna Books. ISBN   978-1-944038-52-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.