"Vermeer has always proved an elusive artist, yet he has also held a special fascination... [This book] makes considerable headway in outlining the reasons... Arasse ... brings both a nicely calibrated visual sensitivity and a thoughtful analytical bent to the pictures themselves [and] lay[s] out what he considers to have been a painting program by Vermeer."--Larry Silver, American Historical Review "The most important work to date on Vermeer's theory of painting and his oeuvre. Burnished by the excellent translation by Terry Grabar, this study presents a thoughtful assessment of Vermeer's personal interpretation of the nature of art."--Linda K. Varkonda, Sixteenth Century Journal "This intense, impassioned book reflects the ways in which we continue to be enthralled by the magic of Vermeer's light and deft touch."--Virginia Quarterly Review