plate no. 0078

View of Delft

oil, canvasBaroquecityscapecityscapewaterbuildingsskycloudsfigures

recreation guide

View of Delft (c. 1659–1661) is Johannes Vermeer’s only surviving cityscape, depicting his hometown from an elevated position to the southeast, likely from the upper floor of the Mechelen tavern where his studio was located (Source 1). The composition is distinctive for its panoramic scope, featuring the Rotterdam Gate on the right, the Schiedam Gate in the center, and the illuminated spire of the Nieuwe Kerk behind the gates (Source 1). Unlike his domestic interiors, this work captures a bustling harbor scene with herring busses, a passenger barge, and figures waiting to board, all reflected in the calm waters of the river Schie (Source 1). The painting is celebrated for its masterful handling of light and atmosphere, with art historians noting that the diffused highlights on the buildings and water suggest the possible use of a camera obscura to achieve precise optical effects (Source 2).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

7 items

steps

8 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints	Primary medium for the painting	High-quality artist-grade oil paints
Lead White	Used for highlights and mixing; historically used by Vermeer	Titanium White or Zinc White (note: Lead White is toxic and restricted in many regions)
Natural Ultramarine	Key pigment for skies and underpainting; Vermeer used it lavishly	Synthetic Ultramarine (cheaper alternative, but lacks the depth of natural lapis lazuli)
Yellow Ochre	Earth tone for architectural details and ground	Yellow Ochre
Madder Lake	Reddish tones, likely used for the barge interior and figures	Quinacridone Rose or Alizarin Crimson
Canvas	Support for the oil painting	Linen canvas, primed with gesso
Calcite	Likely used as a filler or ground component in Vermeer's technique	Gesso or acrylic medium

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a linen canvas with a traditional oil ground. Vermeer’s works are on canvas, and while specific priming recipes are not detailed in the sources, the use of calcite suggests a mineral-based ground or filler was part of his material practice (Source 1). Ensure the surface is smooth to allow for the fine detail and glazing techniques characteristic of his work.

underdrawing

Vermeer left few clues to preparatory methods, and no drawings have been positively attributed to him (Source 4). It is likely he worked directly onto the prepared surface or used a very light, non-intrusive sketch. Avoid heavy charcoal lines that might show through subsequent glazes.

underpainting

Vermeer likely employed a tonal underpainting method, possibly using monochrome shades of grey ('grisaille') or a limited palette of browns and greys ('dead coloring') before applying saturated colors (Source 4). Crucially, he used natural ultramarine as an underpaint beneath earth colors like umber and ochre to subtly tint their shade, inspired by Leonardo’s observations on color interaction (Source 4). Apply a thin layer of ultramarine in areas where warm earth tones will later be glazed, particularly in the shadows of the buildings and the water.

color palette

Sky Blue

Natural Ultramarine mixed with Lead White

The sky and reflections in the water; Vermeer used ultramarine lavishly (Source 1, Source 4)

Brick Red/Brown

Yellow Ochre, Umber, and Madder Lake

The Rotterdam Gate, Schiedam Gate, and the red-roofed arsenal (Source 1)

White/Highlight

Lead White

Highlights on buildings, the Nieuwe Kerk spire, and the barge (Source 1)

Green/Teal

Ultramarine and Yellow Ochre

The water of the river Schie and foliage, creating cool, crisp tones (Source 1, Source 4)

Red Interior

Madder Lake and Vermilion

The interior of the passenger barge, where Vermeer painted his initials (Source 1)

Grey/Neutral

Lead White and Black (or dark earth tones)

Shadows and atmospheric perspective, consistent with his 'dead coloring' underpainting (Source 4)

composition

The composition is viewed from an elevated position to the southeast of Delft (Source 1). The Rotterdam Gate is placed on the far right, with the Schiedam Gate in the middle, creating a balanced but asymmetrical arrangement (Source 1). The Nieuwe Kerk spire is positioned closer to the center than its actual location to make it more prominent, serving as a focal point (Source 1). The horizon line is positioned to emphasize the sky and the verticality of the church spire, consistent with compositional principles that avoid exact bisection (Source 6). The viewer’s eye is led from the figures in the lower left, across the water, to the gates, and up to the illuminated spire (Source 1, Source 6).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Lightly sketch the main architectural elements: the Rotterdam Gate on the right, the Schiedam Gate in the center, and the Nieuwe Kerk spire behind them. Mark the position of the passenger barge and figures in the lower left.
Tip — Keep lines faint; Vermeer left few traces of preparatory sketches (Source 4).
Direct painting

underpainting

step 02
Apply a tonal underpainting using grisaille or dead coloring. Use natural ultramarine in shadow areas and beneath future earth tones to create subtle cool tints, as Vermeer did to enhance the crispness of overlying colors (Source 4).
Tip — This layer should be thin and transparent to allow subsequent glazes to interact with it (Source 4).
Ultramarine underpainting

first pass

step 03
Block in the major forms of the buildings and the water. Use yellow ochre and umber for the brickwork and roofs, and ultramarine mixed with white for the sky and water base. Establish the reflection of the buildings in the calm harbor (Source 1).
Tip — Ensure the reflections are slightly softer and less detailed than the buildings themselves to convey the water's surface (Source 1).
Direct application

refining

step 04
Add details to the gates, including the clock on the bridge between the Rotterdam and Schiedam Gates. Paint the two herring busses in front of the Rotterdam Gate and the passenger barge with its red interior (Source 1).
Tip — Vermeer painted his initials, VM, on the red interior of the barge; include this detail (Source 1).
Detailing
step 05
Paint the figures: five people waiting to board the barge on the lower left, and two women talking to each other to the right of the barge. Note that Vermeer originally painted a third person next to the women but painted him out; ensure only two women are visible (Source 1).
Tip — Keep the figures relatively small and integrated into the scene, avoiding overly dramatic poses (Source 1).
Figure painting

finishing

step 06
Apply glazes of saturated colors (reds, yellows, blues) over the underpainting to achieve depth and luminosity. Use lead white for sharp highlights on the buildings and the Nieuwe Kerk spire, which should be brightly illuminated to show support for the House of Orange (Source 2).
Tip — The illumination of the Nieuwe Kerk is a key political and visual element; ensure it stands out against the sky (Source 2).
Glazing
step 07
Add the diffused highlights on the buildings and in the water. These pearly highlights may have been influenced by the use of a camera obscura, creating a halation effect (Source 2, Source 3).
Tip — Use soft brushes to blend these highlights, avoiding hard edges to mimic the lens effect (Source 2).
Optical effects
step 08
Final adjustments to the atmospheric perspective, ensuring the distant elements are cooler and less distinct. Check the balance of the composition, ensuring the eye moves around the scene before resting on the spire (Source 6).
Tip — Avoid exact bisections and ensure the horizon line emphasizes the sky (Source 6).
Atmospheric perspective

critical techniques

Ultramarine Underpainting

Vermeer used natural ultramarine beneath earth colors to subtly tint their shade, creating a cool, crisp appearance in the final glazes (Source 4).

Glazing

Vermeer applied saturated colors in the form of transparent glazes over a tonal underpainting to achieve depth and luminosity (Source 4).

Optical Highlights

The diffused, pearly highlights on buildings and water may result from the use of a camera obscura, creating a halation effect that enhances the realism of light (Source 2, Source 3).

Compositional Balance

The composition avoids exact bisections, with the prominent subject (Nieuwe Kerk) off-center but balanced by smaller satellite elements like the gates and figures (Source 6).

common pitfalls

→Over-detailing the figures: Vermeer’s figures are integrated into the scene and not overly dramatic; avoid making them too prominent or expressive (Source 1).
→Ignoring the underpainting: Skipping the ultramarine underpainting may result in flat, warm earth tones lacking the crisp, cool depth characteristic of Vermeer’s work (Source 4).
→Hard-edged highlights: Vermeer’s highlights are diffused and pearly; using hard edges may miss the optical effect likely achieved with a camera obscura (Source 2).
→Incorrect placement of the Nieuwe Kerk: Ensure the spire is positioned closer to the center than its actual location to maintain the intended visual prominence (Source 1).
→Including the third figure: Vermeer painted out a third person next to the two women; ensure only two women are visible in the final painting (Source 1).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Exact pigment recipes: While sources mention ultramarine, lead white, and calcite, the precise ratios and binders used by Vermeer are not fully documented (Source 1, Source 4).
·Camera obscura specifics: The exact type of camera obscura used, if any, and how it influenced the painting process is speculative (Source 2, Source 3).
·Preparatory sketches: No drawings have been positively attributed to Vermeer, so the exact nature of his underdrawing remains unknown (Source 4).
·Varnishing technique: The sources do not detail Vermeer’s varnishing process, which is crucial for the final appearance of the painting.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

Composition Principles↗
- Balance and horizon — applied to Composition notes, step-by-step process
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Materials list, general technique

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

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