Vermeers in Dresden

This marvelous show at the Old Masters Picture Gallery features 10 of the 35 or so Vermeers that are extant in the world, plus a number of great Pieter de Hoochs and other beauties. I chose the main blip because it is unusual in featuring a man alone rather than the usual Vermeer woman. The first extra is one of my favorite Vermeers, “The Little Street” — I think it usually lives at the Rijksmuseum. The second extra formed the occasion for the show: a Vermeer owned by the Dresden gallery itself, in which a large picture of a cupid has recently appeared on a formerly blank wall during restoration. I have mixed feelings about this change; as one German reviewer put it, the addition makes the great Vermeer seem “eine kitzekleiner bischen weniger sutil” — a teensy-weensy bit less subtle.

But it’s still a great picture, as are all the others. The show is up until early 2022, and if you can possibly get to Dresden for it, do so. It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime exhibit.