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Glite Dictionary
Jan Vermeer

Jan Vermeer

1 7.4
A Dutch painter from the 1600s who is known for using light well in quiet indoor scenes
  • proper noun
: Jan Vermeer
  • Art historians continue to debate how Jan Vermeer achieved his extraordinary effects with light.

Examples

  • The Louvre displayed several masterpieces by Jan Vermeer during the special exhibition.

  • I visited Delft to walk in the footsteps of Jan Vermeer and see his birthplace.

  • Jan Vermeer is celebrated for his stunning use of light.

  • Many consider Jan Vermeer a master of the Dutch Golden Age.

  • Art historians continue to debate how Jan Vermeer achieved his extraordinary effects with light.

  • I visited Delft to walk in the footsteps of Jan Vermeer and see his birthplace.

  • The Louvre displayed several masterpieces by Jan Vermeer during the special exhibition.

Synonyms

Vermeer
vsJan Vermeer
10 6.6

A Dutch painter famous for his use of light and color in quiet room scenes

is the same artist but presented with an alternative personal name form
Johannes Vermeer
vsJan Vermeer
1 8.6

A Dutch painter famous for using light in quiet indoor scenes of people

is the same painter but named with a shorter, familiar first name

Surface Forms

Jan Vermeer main

Morphology

Jan + Vermeer

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the constituents 'Jan' and 'Vermeer' are personal-name elements and do not compose a meaning like a verb + particle or noun phrase. Understanding that 'Jan Vermeer' is a Dutch painter requires encyclopedic/cultural knowledge rather than knowledge of the individual words, so the expression is opaque to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Jan Vermeer comes from a Dutch painter from Delft in the 1600s who painted quiet indoor scenes with soft light and bright color, for example 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'. So today Jan Vermeer means that artist and reminds us of his skill with light and everyday life.