_Jan Vermeer of Delft_ (Dutch: 1632-1675). _See 1383._
_See also_ (p. xxi)
A "symphony in black and white"; cool in effect, almost to the point
of austerity and chilliness. The faces are full of expression. The
master turns in expectation to the pupil, as much as to say "Come,
don't you know?" The pupil is ready with his answer, and seems to
appeal for encouragement: "That is right, is it not?" There is a
severe absence of details; everything in the picture is made to
contribute to the colour scheme. "The play of cool light on the faces
and hands, on the man's black dress, and the gray tablecloth with its
patches of blue shadow; the design of the man's large hat against the
dark background, the almost pathetic charm of the fair-haired boy's
expression, the regular black and white of the tiled floor,--all seem
chosen for their pictorial value alone and skilfully composed into this
grave, almost austere harmony. The largeness of design and rejection
of all superfluous detail in this picture connect it with Vermeer's
more daring compositions" (M. H. Witt, in the _Nineteenth Century_,
October 1900). Only one life-size group by the master is certainly
authenticated--the signed "Courtesans" at Dresden. The attribution of
our picture to the master is uncertain.