Eliana Willis

The hotly anticipated blockbuster of Johannes Vermeer, which reunites 28 out of 37 known paintings by the mysterious 17th-century Dutch master, has finally opened.
But despite the Rijksmuseum’s to ensure that this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition can accommodate as many visitors as possible, many art lovers have been left disappointed. Within a matter of days after the opening, all available tickets were sold out. Before “Vermeer” opened to the public on February 10, the museum already sold more than 200,000 tickets and had extended its opening hours to 10 p.m. on Thursdays to Saturdays and also extended the running time of the show.
Some Vermeer enthusiasts vented their frustration on social media. The Rijksmuseum reacted to public’s overwhelming response promptly by squeezing out more tickets after the opening “without affecting the experience we wish our visitors to have,” a museum spokesperson told Artnet News. The second round of tickets released is now also sold-out. “[The] Rijksmuseum will continue to monitor our audience pattern carefully—and make necessary adjustments when possible to enable as many visitors to see the exhibition as possible,” the museum spokesperson added.
Given that chances of getting tickets to the show are slim, we are bringing you a walkthrough of the exhibition, including every single artwork featured.
Venturing into Town
Vermeer was born, raised, and died in Delft. Two paintings depicting the scenes of his hometown are featured in this section.
Johannes Vermeer, View of Delft (1660-61), oil on canvas. Mauritshuis, The Hague.
Johannes Vermeer, View of Houses in Delft, also known as The Little Street (1658-59) oil on canvas. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Gift of H.W.A. Deterding, London.
Early Ambitions
This section features four large paintings that are Vermeer’s earliest known works, executed in the artist’s early 20s. Vermeer was born into the times of religious conflicts. A Reformed Protestant by birth, the artist married Catharina Bolnes, a Catholic. The religious themes play a dominant role in works created during this period. The Procuress (1656), however, marks a turning point of Vermeer’s ambition as a painter, as he later chose to focus on capturing everyday life in his works.
Christ in the House of Mary and Martha, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1655. National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh.
Diana and her Companions, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1653-1654. Mauritshuis, Den Haag.
Saint Praxedis, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1655. National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo.
The Procuress, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1656. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden.
First Interiors
The two paintings featured in this section depict what seems to be the mundane, everyday life, but art historians suggest that these two paintings illustrate how Vermeer mastered his skill in portraying a pictorial space on a flat surface, creating depth and composition with a single vanishing point.
Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, Johannes Vermeer, 1657-58, oil on canvas. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden.
The Milkmaid, Johannes Vermeer, 1658-59, oil on canvas. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Purchased with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt.
Gazing Out
This section identifies three works related to the windows, exploring how the inner world is connected to that of the outside, by either opening the windows or having someone looking out the window.
Officer and Laughing Girl, Johannes Vermeer, 1657-58, oil on canvas. The Frick Collection, New York. Photo: Joseph Coscia Jr.
Woman with a Lute, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1662-63. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
Lady Writing with Her Maid, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1670-1671. National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.
Up Close
Is she looking at you or not? This group of paintings depicts women with mysterious gazes. But not everyone of them is engaging with the viewer. The Lacemaker, for example, keeps her head down on her work, but Vermeer brought the viewer so close to her that we can see the threads in her hands.
This section also includes the controversial Girl with a Flute, which has caused a debate on whether it was a genuine work of Vermeer.
Girl with a Flute, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1669-1675. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Girl with a Pearl Earring, 1664–67, oil on canvas. Mauritshuis, The Hague. Bequest of Arnoldus Andries des Tombe, The Hague.
The Lacemaker, Johannes Vermeer, 1666–68, oil on canvas mounted on panel. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Girl with a Red Hat, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1665. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. ‘Vermeer’ exhibition. Photo Rijksmuseum/ Henk Wildschut.
Musical Appeal
Music has a strong presence in Vermeer’s modest oeuvre, as highlighted in this section. Curiously, the women in both paintings are looking at the viewer, as if their music-making was interrupted.
Young Woman Seated at a Virginal, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1670-1672. Leiden Collection, New York.
A Young Woman standing at a Virginal, Johannes Vermeer, 1670–72, oil on canvas. The National Gallery, London
Letters From the Outside World
Widely seen as one of the most intriguing paintings by Vermeer, The Love Letter maintains a distance between the two women and the viewer, who is positioned as if taking a peep from an adjacent room. The women’s subtle yet dramatic facial expressions against the backdrop of the painting of the seascape on the wall, suggest a story behind the letter in the hands of the lady in the yellow robe.
Besides music, letters like a supporting character in Vermeer’s paintings. Characters are often depicted writing, reading, or receiving letters, suggesting life beyond the painting.
The Love Letter, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1669 – ca. 1670. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Woman in Blue Reading a Letter, Johannes Vermeer, 1662-64, oil on canvas. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. On loan from the City of Amsterdam (A. van der Hoop Bequest).
Mistress and Maid, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1665-67, oil on canvas. The Frick Collection, New York. Photo: Joseph Coscia Jr.
A Lady Writing, Johannes Vermeer, 1664-67, oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Gift of Harry Waldron Havemeyer and Horace Havemeyer Jr., in memory of their father, Horace Havemeyer
Gentlemen Callers
The gentlemen in Vermeer’s paintings have a curious role to play, as seen in these two paintings below. Still donning a cloak or a cape, these men appear to have just entered the room from the outside, interrupting whatever the women are doing, whether playing the music or taking a sip of wine.
Girl Interrupted at Her Music, Johannes Vermeer,. 1659–61, oil on canvas. The Frick Collection. New York. Photo: Joseph Coscia Jr
The Glass of Wine, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1659-61, oil on canvas. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Gemäldegalerie
View of the World
Science is a key subject in Vermeer’s paintings, as seen in The Geographer. Another similar one is The Astronomer, which is in the collection of Louvre but not in this show in Amsterdam. Maps frequently recur.
The Geographer, Johannes Vermeer, 1669, oil on canvas. Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Reflecting on Vanity and Faith
This last section of the exhibition looks into the symbols presented in three particular paintings that may suggest Vermeer’s views of the world he lived in the, and the reflection of his inner struggles in relation to his faith and monetary values.
Woman with a Pearl Necklace, Johannes Vermeer, (c. 1662-64), oil on canvas. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Gemäldegalerie.
Woman Holding a Balance, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1662-64, oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Washington, Widener Collection
Allegory of Faith, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1670-1674. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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One of the most iconic artists of the early Renaissance whose ideas helped revolutionize Western culture forever, Donatello is the subject of a new once-in-a-lifetime survey at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The Italian artist is believed by many to be the greatest sculptor of all time thanks to his inspired reinvention of historical influences, including Classical antiquity and elegant medieval art. These ideas contributed to a novel and entirely unique vision that Donatello expressed through an impressive range of works in marble, wood, bronze, terracotta, and stucco.
Some of the best examples in the show, which brings together about 130 objects, include the marble David, the stone relief Madonna of the Clouds, and other works that have never before been seen in the U.K., such as the eye-catching gold reliquary bust of San Rossore.
Donatello’s varied life—from his humble beginnings as an apprentice goldsmith only to his time as an intimate of the powerful Medici family—also offers audiences a fascinating entry point into Florentine society during the 15th century. Building up this rich cultural context, the exhibition brings to life the old master’s artistic circle, including his teacher Ghiberti, one-time partner Michelozzo, colleagues from across northern Italy like Mantegna and Bellini and the goldsmith that his work inspired Beltramino de Zuttis.
See some of the highlights from the show below.
“Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance” is on view at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, through June 11, 2023.
Installation view of “Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance” at the V&A Museum. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Donatello, Spiritello with a tambourine. Photo by Antje Voigt, Berlin, courtesy of Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin.
Donatello, Pazzi Madonna. Photo by Antje Voigt, Berlin, courtesy of Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin.
Installation view of “Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance” at the V&A Museum. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Attributed to Donatello, Drawing of the Massacre of the Innocents, Rennes. Photo courtesy of Musée des Beaux-Arts.
Installation view of “Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance” at the V&A Museum. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Installation view of “Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance” at the V&A Museum. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Donatello, San Rossore. Photo courtesy of The Ministry of Culture Italy – Regional Directorate of Museums of Tuscany, Florence.
Installation view of “Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance” at the V&A Museum. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Installation view of “Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance” at the V&A Museum. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Michelozzo, Adoring Angel, commissioned from Donatello and Michelozzo’s joint studio. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum London.
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The questions of motherhood—whether to do it, how, when—is a major part of the female experience, and comes with enormous pressures related to the biological clock and societal expectations.
At New York’s Trotter and Sholer gallery, the varied ways that women artists respond to this question is the subject of its current group show, “A Suitable Accomplishment.”
The title is taken from the groundbreaking 1971 Linda Nochlin essay, “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?,” which examined the social constructs that have kept women artists from receiving the same recognition as that of their male counterparts. (Spoiler alert: the demands of motherhood have sabotaged many a promising career.)
And though the essay is more than 50 years old, it speaks to issues women still face in the year 2023.
“A Suitable Accomplishment” on view at Trotter and Sholer. Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer.
“I’m not sure that we’ve progressed as far as we like to think we have,” gallery cofounder Jenna Ferrey told Artnet News. “And we definitely haven’t gone as far as we need to go!”
Ferrey focused the show on a small group of women artists whose differing experiences of motherhood painted a wide picture of the subject.
Barbara Ishikura, Jen (2022). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
For some artists, motherhood is a creative inspiration, as with Fernanda’s Feher’s watercolors, which were “art directed” by her two-year-old, who asks her to incorporate elements like toys, ice cream, and cupcakes into her delicate works.
Others reference multiple generations of women. One of Jessica Frances Grégoire Lancaster’s finely detailed paintings on glass is based on a drawing by her grandmother, with her mother’s reflection subtly included in the work to tie the three women together.
Bahar Behbahani, Untitled (Immigrant Flora) 2018. Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
There’s even a mother-daughter duo, Shamsy Behbahani and Bahar Behbahani, whose works appear in the show.
“They created individual works, but they are in conversation with each other,” Ferrey said. “Bahar’s mother created a large hanging installation piece out of silver and copper thread which is hung so the light casts a shadow from Shamsy’s piece onto Bahar’s piece.”
Bahar Behbahani and Shamsy Behbahani, All the Sea for You All the Pain for Me (2022). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
The 13 featured artists in the show include both mothers and women who have decided not to have children of their own, as well as women who haven’t decided one way or another—a question that Ferrey, who has decided she does not want to have children, has grappled with herself.
“Its something that’s been on my mind lately, and it comes up in conversations with friends, both those who have children and those who are choosing not to,” Ferrey told Artnet News. “But there’s social pressure no matter which position you take. And this is a conversation that almost probably every single woman could contribute something to.”
See what some of the women in the show had to say in their artist statements about the question of motherhood and how it relates to their work.

Fernanda Feher
Fernanda Feher, Lilyland (2022). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“As an artist, who is a single parent most of the time, I find it challenging not being able to go work whenever inspiration comes, and it is difficult for inspiration to come when having no alone time, having to do so many things at the same time and carrying so much responsibility by myself,” Fernanda Feher said. The artist credited her “infantile universe of imagination,” saying, “I can easily join my child in her fantasy to play and welcome her into creating worlds with me such as the ones we painted and drew together for this exhibition.”

Isabelle Higgins
Isabelle Higgins, A Feast (2021). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“Our culture does not support mothers or artists enough and this is something that comes to the forefront of my mind while weighing the option of taking on the role of motherhood,” Barbara Higgins said. “So for now, I am content with mothering my artistic works through care, time, and dedication.”

Barbara Ishikura
Barbara Ishikura, Holding Sho on Swing (2022). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“When I gave birth to my children in the late 1980s, there was very little support for new mothers experiencing the demands of shifting cultural roles around career and childcare,” Barbara Ishikura said. “In my painting Holding Sho on Swing, I try to visualize the feelings of isolation that many young mothers experienced at that time. Looking at young women today, I see their vulnerability, but I also witness a level of confidence that was unfamiliar to me.”
Alex McQuilkin
Alex McQuilkin, Untitled (Blind Man’s Bluff), 2019. Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“Prior to having children, that idea of self, though far from uncomplicated, could be approached in a conceptual way. Since becoming a mother, even the fantasy of a singular self is out of the question,” Alex McQuilkin said. “After having my children, I began to layer archival fragments of historical wall coverings in a claustrophobically shallow trompe l’oeil space on top of repeat patterns. The specificity of these material objects with their cracks, wrinkles, and imperfections, complicates the façade of neutrality in the repeat patterns and disrupts their grid-like ability to run rampant below the surface.”
Jessica Frances Grégoire Lancaster
Jessica Frances Grégoire Lancaster, Trois gestes (Three Gestures) 2022. Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“Outside of this trio’ed collaboration, the women who precede me possess their own creative practices to sustain a fruitful life,” Jessica Frances Grégoire Lancaster said. “The act of making for us is as ordinary as drying dishes. My grandmother supplemented her husband’s income by selling her fiber arts, woven on her basement looms in order to dress her children. My mom fills her days with quilting after retiring from a career in cancer research, having fought to be considered both a scientist and mother. And I, after losing a child, have enveloped myself in painting.”

Anna Marie Tendler
Anna Marie Tendler, Good Mourning (2021). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“I do not particularly want children, yet at 36 I froze my eggs for fear I might change my mind,” photographer Anna Marie Tendler, who divorced her husband in 2021, said. “At first glance, my two works may appear to tell the story of a woman longing for motherhood, but I urge the viewer to consider the patriarchal conditioning that leads to this interpretation. Why does a woman clad in black and positioned in a room of empty twin beds signal loss? Why are we quick to assume she is sad? Perhaps she is Lilith, first wife of Adam, who in refusing to submit to her husband, left the Garden of Eden to become the figure of primal rage, stealing men’s sperm and devouring their babies in the dark of the night.”

Shantel Miller
Shantel Miller, Sherri and Sheryl (2018). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“These pieces are a labor of love for Black mothers in my life and for those who were not able to pro- vide love in the ways needed,” Shantel Miller said.

Azzah Sultan
Azzah Sultan, The Sewing Kit (2022). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“Although we may grow up with our mothers, we never truly know their past and who they were before motherhood. These are conversations that are difficult to have with older generations, and I wish to explore it through a memory box,” Azzah Sultan said. “Here the biscuit tin has been reappropriated. Inside are pieces of fabric that hold personal stories. My mother starts to unveil a few but still keep some for herself.”

Chellis Baird
Chellis Baird, Hope (2022). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“Artists, like mothers, also wear many hats, often functioning as both assistant and boss,” Chellis Baird said. The process of creation is often a juggle of several of these roles, with moments, sometimes unexpectedly, of absolute joy. Both job descriptions include the need for patience, love, and problem solving, with the witnessing of growth acting as a constant motivator and source of reward.”

Marika Thunder
Marika Thunder, Hungarian Woodshop (2022). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“My mother is Hungarian and an artist herself. She didn’t allow her budding career and the inevitable challenges that came with raising a daughter to prevent her from achieving her dream. I’ll always admire her strength and courage to follow her own intuition,” Marika Thunder said. “The intuition of a mother, and intense psychic bond with the daughter always felt sacred to me. Though I am not a mother to a child, I feel very motherly toward each painting I make since they are objects that I’ve materialized from the ineffable parts of my lived experiences.”

Lydia Baker
Lydia Baker, Birth of an Idea (2022). Photo courtesy of Trotter and Sholer, New York.
“I’m interested in the psychological aspects of having an internal calendar—ovulation in particular, as it signifies letting go, an end, or potentially a beginning. My physical and mental experience with ovulation changes each year, and now in my early 30s, it’s become more pronounced,” Lydia Baker said. “As someone who adores children and doesn’t have them, it’s been interesting seeing my maternal energy announce itself in the studio.”
“A Suitable Accomplishment” is on view at Trotter and Sholer, 168 Suffolk Street, New York, New York, January 14–February 18, 2023.
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Roger Gastman, curator of the celebrated exhibitions “Art in the Streets” at L.A. MoCA and “Beyond the Streets” in Brooklyn, is heading to the U.K.
“Beyond the Streets London” opens today at the Saatchi Gallery, through May 9. Once more taking audiences along a journey through the history of street art, this latest offering includes entirely new works by Felipe Pantone that bring us right up to the digital age.
The mammoth survey features work from more than 100 artists, filling every room of the gallery’s multi-floored, 70,000-square-foot space. Special installations will invite visitors into traditional venues for graffiti when it was still an underground practice, such as the recreated shop Trash Records, public transportation and back alleys. Here, we come to understand the role the art form played in forging identity, youth culture and artistic resistance.
The exhibition also traces street art’s eventual acceptance by the mainstream art world, predominantly exploring its influence on leading contemporary artists as diverse as Todd James, Jenny Holzer, KAWS, Kenny Sharf, the Guerrilla Girls and Keith Haring.
Archival objects and rare documents bring to life a rich range of subcultures, from punk rock to hip-hop. Some collaborations between musicians and graffiti art on display include the styling of the Beastie Boys and the a backdrop produced live by artist FUTURA2000 during a performance by The Clash. As the exhibition shows, street art has also long been an important cultural reference for so many creatives working in fashion and film.
Check out some installation shots of the exhibition below.
Saatchi Gallery, London presents “Beyond the Streets London,” 17 February – 9 May.
Saatchi Gallery, London presents “Beyond the Streets London,” 17 February – 9 May.
Saatchi Gallery, London presents “Beyond the Streets London,” 17 February – 9 May.
Saatchi Gallery, London presents “Beyond the Streets London,” 17 February – 9 May.
Saatchi Gallery, London presents “Beyond the Streets London,” 17 February – 9 May.
Saatchi Gallery, London presents “Beyond the Streets London,” 17 February – 9 May.
Saatchi Gallery, London presents “Beyond the Streets London,” 17 February – 9 May with headline supporter Adidas Originals.
Saatchi Gallery, London presents “Beyond the Streets London,” 17 February – 9 May with headline supporter Adidas Originals.
Saatchi Gallery, London presents “Beyond the Streets London,” 17 February – 9 May with headline supporter Adidas Originals.
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