Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 inches.  This the third of Johannes Vermeer’s paintings that I’m working at this time. Vermeer’s original of The Astronomer is 20 x 18 in and is on display in the Louvre, in Paris.  Along with Vermeer’s Geographer, the 17th century artist has created a pair of scientists, that according to some art historians, depicts Anton van Leeuwenhoek.  Each painting shows a globe.  In the Astronomer, the globe is celestial , whereas in the Geographer, the globe is a terrestrial.

I majored in the Earth sciences in undergraduate school and later taught high school earth science, so doing these two paintings by Vermeer was a cause for great reflection and warm feelings for undergraduate school and for teaching high school students.

There is great detail in Vermeer’s Astronomer.  The chart on the large piece of furniture in Vermeer’s studio might be a star chart which used rotating dials to identify the visible stars.  The painting within the painting is believed to be Moses.  Moses was the patron saint of science, and was thought to be the oldest geographer, as in leading the Hebrews during their exile.  Art historians have also thought that the inclusion of the Moses painting represented two types of 17th century science, the ancient and the modern.  There is much detail in the windows, and in the tapestry which covers the table.  I didn’t do a very good job with the tapestry, and might work on it more in the future.

Here is a slider showing the progression of my painting of Vermeer’s the Astronomer.

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