Scientific Verification of Vermeer's Use of Camera Obscura

约翰内斯·维米尔（Johannes Vermeer，1632-1675）是17世纪荷兰的一位日常生活画家，他创作的艺术作品与他那个时代的其他画家完全不同。自世纪后期对弗米尔的艺术进行重新评价以来，关于弗米尔使用现代照相机的先驱--暗箱--来辅助其绘画创作的假设一直被反复提出。虽然历史资料表明当时人们对暗箱很感兴趣，但它们并没有具体记录威猛（Vermeer）使用这种设备的情况。本研究的主要目的是检验这一假设是否成立。由于暗箱在绘画上留下的物理痕迹很少，因此必须依靠对图像的解释来确定它是否表现出使用暗箱所产生的特征。经过仔细观察，在他的一些画作中可以发现许多在暗箱中可见的光学效果，它们是突出的透视，增强的颜色，明暗对比，高光的光晕和渐晕效果。第一次专门为弗米尔举办的展览于1995-96年在华盛顿的国家艺术馆和皇家绘画陈列馆举行。从那时起，一个国际学者团队就威猛（Vermeer）的创作过程和技术手段提出了新的想法。例如，在展览目录中的一篇文章，由Jorgen Wadum，首席绘画保管员在阿图什，提供了艺术家的使用透视，他揭示了新的证据弗米尔的工作方法。本报告的最后一章对瓦杜姆的文章进行了批判性分析。

Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), a Dutch painter of everyday life in 17th century Holland, constructed works of art completely different from other painters of his day. The hypothesis that Vermeer used the forerunner of the modem photographic camera, the camera obscura as an aid in making his paintings has been repeatedly submitted since the revaluation of his art in the late 19th century. Although historical sources indicate contemporary interest in the camera obscura, they do not specifically document Vermeer's use of this device. The main purpose of this study is to examine whether this hypothesis can be substantiated.Because a camera obscura leaves few physical traces on the painting, one must rely on an interpretation of the image to determine whether it exhibits characteristics derived from the use of a camera obscura. Upon close examination, a number of optical effects visible in the camera obscura are found in at least some of his paintings, They are the accentuated perspective, heightened colors, contrasts of light and dark, halation of highlights, and vignetting effects.The first exhibition devoted exclusively to Vermeer was held in 1995-96 in the National Gallery of Art, Washington and the Royal Cabinet of Paintings Mauritshuis. Since then, an international team of scholars has presented new ideas about Vermeer's creative process and technical means. For example, an essay in the catalog for the exhibition by Jorgen Wadum, chief paintings conservator at the Mauritshuis, provides the artist's use of perspective in which he reveals new evidence of Vermeer's working methods. A critical analysis of Wadum's essay is included in the last chapter of this report.