View of Houses in Delft, Known as ‘The Little Street’

Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), oil on canvas, c. 1660

This is an unusual painting in Vermeer’s oeuvre, and remarkable for its time as a portrait of ordinary houses. The composition is as exciting as it is balanced. The old walls with their bricks, whitewash, and cracks are almost tangible. The location is Vlamingstraat 40–42 in Delft. Vermeer’s aunt Ariaentgen Claes lived in the house at the right, with her children, from around 1645 until her death in 1670.

Artwork typepainting
Object numberSK-A-2860
Dimensionsheight 54.3 cm x width 44 cm x depth 9 cm
Physical characteristicsolieverf op doek

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View of Houses in Delft, Known as ‘The Little Street’

Identification

Title(s)
- View of Houses in Delft, Known as ‘The Little Street’
- View of Houses in Delft, Known as The Little Street
Object type
Object number
SK-A-2860
Inscriptions / marks
signature: ‘I. VMeer’
Description
This is an unusual painting in Vermeer’s oeuvre, and remarkable for its time as a portrait of ordinary houses. The composition is as exciting as it is balanced. The old walls with their bricks, whitewash, and cracks are almost tangible. The location is Vlamingstraat 40–42 in Delft. Vermeer’s aunt Ariaentgen Claes lived in the house at the right, with her children, from around 1645 until her death in 1670.

Creation

Creation
painter: Johannes Vermeer
Dating
c. 1658
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Material and technique

Physcial description
olieverf op doek
Material
Dimensions
height 54.3 cm x width 44 cm x depth 9 cm

This work is about

Subject
Place

Acquisition and rights

Credit line
Gift of H.W.A. Deterding, London
Acquisition
gift 1921-07
Ownership
Copyright
Public domain
Provenance
? Pieter Claesz van Ruijven (1624-1674) and Maria Simonsdr de Knuijt (1623-1681), Delft; ? their daughter, Magdalena van Ruijven (1655-1682), Delft; ? her widower, Jacob Dissius (1653-1695), Delft;{Montias 1989, pp. 246-262, 359, doc. 417.} his sale, Amsterdam, 16 May 1696, no. 32, fl. 72.10 or no. 33, fl. 48;{Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 1 (1752), p. 35; Montias 1989, p. 394, doc. 439.} …; collection Gerrit Willem van Oosten de Bruyn (1727-1797), Haarlem;{According to the sale catalogue Van Oosten de Bruyn, Haarlem (V. van der Vinne), 8 April 1800 _sqq._, no. 7.} his widow, Maria Croon (1729-1799), Haarlem; sale Van Oosten de Bruyn, Haarlem (V. van der Vinne), 8 April 1800 _sqq._, no. 7, fl. 1,040, to Pieter van Winter (1745-1807), Amsterdam;{Priem 1997, p. 118.} his daughter, Lucretia Johanna van Winter (1785-1845), Amsterdam; her widower, Jonkheer Hendrik Six (1790-1847), Lord of Hillegom, Amsterdam; their son, Jonkheer Jan Pieter Six (1824-1899), Lord of Hillegom, Amsterdam;{Archive Six family, inv. No. CS53207-002. 0014.} his son, Jonkheer Willem Six (1859-1919), Lord of Wimmenum, Amsterdam; his brother, Jonkheer Jan Six (1857-1926), Lord of Hillegom, Amsterdam and ´s-Graveland; sale Six, Amsterdam (F. Muller), 12 April 1921 (unsold); from whom, fl. 625,000, to Henry W.A. Deterding (1866-1939), Amsterdam;{Priem 1997, p. 190; archive Six family, inv.no. CS53207-002. 0024.} by whom presented to the museum, 1921