★ Written by a co-author of popular art online courses with over 100,000 students, balancing professional depth and accessible expression.

★ Focuses on Vermeer’s 30 surviving small paintings, answering the enduring charm of his works and the many mysteries behind them.

★ Takes art as the entry point, restores the style of the Baroque era, and connects the core origins of modern civilization.

Johannes Vermeer died three and a half centuries ago, at the age of only 43. He left behind approximately 30 small paintings. These are not epic battle scenes; they do not depict famous people or significant events. There is no Rembrandtesque drama or Rubensian lively festivity here. They are delicate, intimate works exuding tranquility—soft light pouring through the window, ordinary people immersed in their own worlds, engaged in daily chores. Here, a woman reads a letter; there, another plays the lute. A lacemaker bends over her work; a painter creates a picture.

Why is it that these few, at first glance unremarkable works, still captivate our attention and hold so many mysteries to this day? Why do debates about their provenance, numerous forgeries, and imitations never subside? Why does every Vermeer painting draw crowds of viewers wherever it is exhibited? Why does every museum fortunate enough to own even one of the master’s works pride itself on it as a true treasure?

Alexandra Persheeva, Candidate of Art History, specialist in semiotics and general theory of art, lecturer at the School of Design of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), and co-author of popular online courses on art and design (with a total of over 100,000 students), not only talks about Vermeer’s painting in her book but also serves as a guide for readers into the world of Dutch art. She vividly depicts the era that laid the foundation for modern civilization—science, rational thinking, international trade, and a free art market—without which modern society is unimaginable. Readers will clearly understand the context of Vermeer’s creation and why his art became what we know it to be today. Alexandra will reveal the profound connotation and unique charm of Johannes Vermeer’s paintings, showing his past influence and ongoing inspiration on world art, and why, centuries after the master’s death, his works still exert a strong appeal to us.

Alexandra Dmitrievna Staruseva-Persheeva

Candidate of Art History, specialist in semiotics and general theory of art, lecturer at the School of Design of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE).