Johannes Vermeer (Netherlandish, 1632 – 1675)
Kenwood House, London
On the edge of Hampstead Heath and surrounded by tranquil landscaped gardens, Kenwood House is one of London’s hidden gems. The stately home has breathtaking interiors by Robert Adam and a stunning world-class art collection, which includes Vermeer’s ‘Guitar Player.
The Guitar Player properly demonstrates the energy of Vermeer’s late style, creating paintings that demonstrate dynamic poses and actions, implying that a movement (or in this case, sound) is taking place. In this painting, Vermeer depicts a young girl strumming a guitar. The instrument is placed comfortably on her lap while she plays near a window, sitting in the corner of a room. The young girl has an open expression that is joyous and flirtatious. The girl’s smile and tipped head, along with the fixed gaze on something just outside the painting suggests that she is playing not for us, but for an unseen individual. Her dress and hairstyle reflect the relevant fashions of the wealthy Dutch, in that day.
After Vermeer’s death in 1675, the painting stayed in Delft in the hands of Maria de Knuijt, his widow. In 1682, Maria gave the painting to their daughter, Magdalena van Ruijven. After Magdalena’s death, the painting was passed on to her widower, Jacob Abrahamsz Dissius. In 1696, the painting was auctioned off, went hrought various ownerships and has been on display at Kenwood House, London since the 1920s.
On February 23, 1974, someone stole the painting from Kenwood House and ransomed it for a deal to deliver and distribute over $1 million USD in food to the Caribbean island of Grenada, or the thief would destroy the painting. Following the threat, a small strip of the painting was sent to The Times in London. The painting was recovered by Scotland Yard in the cemetery of St Bartholomew-the-Great, in London’s financial district, on May 7, 1974.
A period copy, A Lady Playing the Guitar, is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Recent scholarship, as of June 2023, indicates the painting in the Philadelphia museum may be an original Vermeer work. Kenwood’s version could not be presented in the Rijksmuseum’s 2023 grand Vermeer exhibition, since its fragile condition made it too risky to travel. But, it can be seen at Kenwood House; without queues and not necessary to book tickets; and entrace is free!
- Kenwood House is part of English Heritage; all details about opening times and visiting can be found here.
- How to get to Kenwood House, click here. It’s 30 minutes walk from Highgate metro station, and that’s easily reached from central London.