"Think Claude Monet and Paris or Edward Hopper and New York. Those artists never stopped creating scenes that captured the vibrancy-and sometimes the more grotesque side too-of places that remain world capitals today. They both left legacies for others to follow, as one can see wandering around Montmartre or Central Park, spying the many artists with sketch books in hand or seated at easels."
"Another of those fortuitous pairings took place in Delft, in the Netherlands, which Johannes Vermeer immortalized on canvas. The painter of Girl with a Pearl Earring had a special interest in the town where he was born at the height of the Dutch Baroque period in the mid-17th century. He painted panoramic views and scenes of local events that perfectly captured, and also defined, the atmosphere of a city that had grown rich and prosperous thanks to the ceramics trade."
"In Delft, you can often feel like you are walking into a Vermeer painting. You only need to cross a bridge over the main canal to understand why this master artist never left this city where every street seems to constantly change, its colors shifting with the light. The sun's rays dance across the rooftops of a city defined by its historic university and which has, without forgetting its rich past, embraced modernity."
Delft is renowned for canals, gardens, and its blue-and-white ceramics. Johannes Vermeer, born there, immortalized the city through paintings like Girl with a Pearl Earring and panoramic views capturing 17th-century life. The ceramics trade brought wealth and shaped the cityscape that appears to shift with light across rooftops and canals. Visitors can sense Vermeer’s influence while crossing bridges over the main canal and wandering streets near the historic university. Boat tours through the canals offer a concise way to experience Delft, and a well-planned day can reveal the city’s blend of historic charm and modern vitality.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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