MUSIC AND THE PAINTINGS OF VERMEER

During our lecture titled ‘Not how many, but how well’: Music and the paintings of Johannes Vermeer’, art historian and author Dr. Richard Stemp will take us on a journey along the paintings of this great Dutch master, after which we will be taken back to the time of Vermeer through a musical interlude performed by The Strand Consort and conducted by Joseph Fort. Tickets available here.
For an artist as famous as Vermeer, relatively few paintings have survived. This could have to do with the precious nature of his work that makes it stand above that of his more prolific contemporaries. It may simply be that he was a careful painter, making specific choices about the imagery, its precise arrangement, and the considered way in which every surface was painted which led to a measured rate of work. If so, he must have had reasons for including every detail we see, allowing for a wealth of rewarding interpretation.
This talk will focus on just one aspect of Vermeer’s work: music. Stemp will consider the ways in which he added the sense of hearing to the sense of sight, and discover the range of moral values that music, and the playing of music, were given in the Dutch Republic in the Seventeenth Century.
After the lecture it’s time for a musical interlude performed by The Strand Consort and conducted by Joseph Fort.
The Strand Consort will present a programme of sacred music by the Dutch composer and organist Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621). Composed in the 1600s, these works remained in circulation throughout the seventeenth century, particularly among the Roman Catholic congregations whose liturgies Vermeer attended. One of the most important composers of the ‘Golden Era’ of music in the Netherlands, Sweelinck’s sacred vocal music is striking for its dynamic rhythms, bold harmonies, and expressive treatment of the text. A selection of his music will be presented during which the Strand Consort will aim to demonstrate its variety and richness.
The last part of the evening is a Q&A with Dr. Richard Stemp. We welcome you to submit any questions you my have. You will receive more information about how to access the event and how to submit questions on the day of the event.