Johannes Vermeer is one of the greatest painters in history, yet the man himself remains an enigma. No letters, no diaries, no documented conversations — just his luminous, hauntingly beautiful paintings. 

On October 23 acclaimed art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon comes to Intelligence Squared to shed light on this most elusive of artists. Drawing on newly uncovered archival evidence from Delft and Rotterdam, which features in his upcoming book Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found, he will reveal Vermeer’s hitherto unknown friendships, his ties to a radical underground movement, and the powerful women who shaped both his private life and career. Far from the isolated genius of legend, Graham-Dixon will show that Vermeer genius was in fact deeply engaged in the intellectual and political currents of the Dutch Golden Age, forging connections with merchants, philosophers and Europe’s first peace movement.

Join us at Friends House as Graham-Dixon paints a dramatically new picture of Vermeer, illustrating his talk with detailed analysis of the artist’s masterpieces, including Girl with a Pearl Earring, A View of Delft and Woman Reading a Letter – and answering the great unresolved questions about him: why did he paint his pictures, and what do they mean?