First Complete Painting of Vermeer Revealed in Germany

Imagine the surprise of museum officials when they discovered that an old painting was hiding a long-lost masterpiece. After many centuries, it is now possible to see Cupid in Johannes Vermeer's Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window (ca. 1657). The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden in Germany launched restoration efforts two years ago as part of their new exhibit on Dutch art from 1600-1800.

A Spanish scholar believes that one particular section of an old portrait may have been covered up because it depicted something scandalous or inappropriate: two persons passionately kissing each other. At the same time, they read their letters out loud from across casino online separate rooms with only curtains separating them. Shameful indeed.

"This newly revealed image offers an 'occasion to rethink' the Painting's meaning, said senior conservator and curator Uta Neidhardt. But what does it mean? What's going on with those people in this mysterious scene from long ago, that many are still trying to figure out?"

The discovery of the hidden Cupid painting was first discovered during an X-Ray analysis in 1979. Researchers believed at the time that Vermeer himself had painted over this image. Still, when they inspected it more closely with a higher resolution camera and found out, there were remnants left behind from his original sketching done on top of what he covered up.

This finding led them to realize someone else must have come back to paint after his death because 18th-century paintings would be too different from 17th-century ones for him not to see or feel how much things changed. Also, techniques used by painters then compared now made many mistakes while trying their best, including putting unnecessary details into parts where no one could appreciate these additions.

The director of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister's statement is as follows: "With the recovery of Cupid in the background, only his actual intention becomes apparent," Stephan Koja said. "Beyond its superficially romantic context, it is a fundamental statement about love."

A girl stands before an open window, reading a letter with her lips pursed and brow furrowed. Despite the written words on paper that she holds in hand, it appears that thoughts of heartbreak are bogging down this young woman's mind.

The thoughtless smile barely visible on the surface does not pass muster for anyone looking at Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window from Johannes Vermeer's Alte Meister Gemäldegalerie series painted during his early age years in Delft (1657- 1660). Indeed, many would argue that these features reveal nothing but deep sorrow: The dark circles around eyes that betray lack of sleep or tears shed into pillowcases while tossing and turning.

Curators were still removing varnish, which had darkened over time and lent a yellow tone to the cool colors of this Painting. Researchers used microscopes and scalpel blades to preserve original paint that removed layers of old-fashioned varnish without damaging anything else on the canvas.

The fully restored Painting will be displayed this fall. Vermeer will join nine other paintings, including Woman in Blue Reading a Letter (1663–64) on loan from Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum and Lady Standing at Virginal (1670-72). The exhibition includes 50 works representing Dutch Painting during the 17th Century, which have pieces made by Pieter de Hooch Frans van Mieris Gerard Ter Borch.

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