Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 29
face painted by Vermeer would be backlit and completely in
shadow - not a match for the painting.
Standing at the Artist's Side
If Vermeer intended to portray a morning scene consistent
with the time shown by the clock in the painting, then the
combined evidence - the hour hand of the Schiedam Gate
clock, the empty bell tower, and the Sun's position in the sky
- indicates that the painting dates from 1659 or an earlier year
and matches the view that the artist could have observed from
his window at the inn at 8:00 a.m. on a date near September 3.
Vermeer is known to have worked slowly and completing
all the details on the large canvas of his masterpiece may
have taken weeks, months, or even years. His remarkably
accurate depiction of the distinctive and fleeting pattern of
light and shadows on the Nieuwe Kerk suggests that at least
this detail was inspired by direct observation of the sunlit
tower rising above the wall and roofs of Delft.
¢ DON OLSON and RUSSELL DOESCHER both recently
retired from teaching physics and astronomy at Texas State
University, where CHARLES CONDOS and MICHAEL SÁNCHEZ
received B.S. degrees in physics. TIM JENISON's analysis of
optics and 17th-century art was featured in the 2013 film Tim's
Vermeer. The authors received research assistance from Daniel
Barringer at Texas State University, Hans Mooij of the Technische Universiteit Delft, and Margaret Vaverek of Texas State
University's Alkek Library.
FURTHER READING:
* Google Arts & Culture "Meet Vermeer" website:
artsandculture.google.com/project/vermeer
* A zoomable image is presented here:
https://is.gd/ViewofDelftzoom
* Mauritshuis museum's downloadable high-resolution image:
https://is.gd/MauritshuisViewofDelft
* "Essential Vermeer" website: essentialvermeer.com
THE VIEW TODAY This photograph shows the scene depicted in
View of Delft as it appeared on the morning of October 10, 2019,
from a window 90 feet above the water level. The inn with Vermeer's
viewpoint stood closer to the shore below.
DON OLSON
Visiting Delft
Readers who wish to see Delft and the Nieuwe Kerk illuminated as they are shown in Vermeer's painting should position
themselves on the south side of the Kolk at the appropriate time. But what modern dates and times are best? Local mean
time, as used in the past at the longitude of Delft (4°22´ East), was 17 minutes ahead of UT. The Netherlands today uses the
European time zone and daylight-saving time, with clocks set 2 hours ahead of UT in summer and early fall. Therefore, the
correct time to look is around 9:40 a.m. during the first half of September, 9:15 a.m. in the second half of September, and
8:50 a.m. in the first half of October.
sk yandtelescope.org * SEP TEMBER 2 02 0
29
http://artsandculture.google.com/project/vermeer
https://is.gd/ViewofDelftzoom
http://essentialvermeer.com
http://skyandtelescope.org
Sky & Telescope - September 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - September 2020
Contents
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - Cover1
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - Cover2
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 1
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - Contents
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 3
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 4
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 5
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 6
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 7
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 8
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 9
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 10
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 11
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Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - 29
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Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - Cover3
Sky & Telescope - September 2020 - Cover4
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