I have now read almost all of Susan Vreeland’s books, and enjoyed them all. Girl in Hyacinth Blue tells the story of a painting, an imaginary painting by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), the indescribably wonderful Dutch painter. Though the painting in the novel is imaginary, it’s described vividly as it seems to several characters who are enchanted by its power:
“The girl in the painting had a blue smock. How glorious to drape oneself in blue—the blue of the sky, of Heaven, of the pretty little lake at Westerbork with the tiny blue brooklime that grew along the banks, the blue of hyacinths and Delftware and all fine things.” (p.76)
I enjoyed reading this book, which is a series of small stories about several owners of the imagined painting going back in time until we meet the artist. The awe in which the work of Vermeer is held in the book is something that I can really grasp, as every Vermeer painting I have ever seen has captivated my thoughts and stayed with me as a vivid memory. I believe that in the course of visiting many museums, I have seen over half the surviving works by Vermeer. I’m adding some images of Vermeer paintings that I was thinking about as I read the novel.
Two Vermeer Paintings of a Girl in Blue
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| Lady Seated at a Virginal |
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| Woman Reading a Letter |
Seeing Vermeer Paintings
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Last year we visited The Haague and saw the Vermeers at the Mauritshaus. one of the best museums in the world because it is small and every painting is a masterpiece.
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| Vermeer’s View of Delft as we saw it. |
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| The tiny figures on the shore. |
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| The museum. |
Blog post © 2025, photos © 2023 mae sander
