Vermeer's Hat

In chapter four, Brook looks at The Geographer. This painting is strikingly different from Vermeer’s other work in that the subject is concerned with his own world and thoughts, as opposed to models who are aware of the viewer’s gaze. Moreover, the sense of intimacy that is a hallmark of Vermeer’s other paintings is not present in this one, perhaps indicating that he painted it on commission for a wealthy patron and that his heart was not into the painting. Brook proposes that the subject is Delft polymath Antoine van Leeuwenhoek, due to the possible connections between the two and the fact that Leeuwenhoek was an avid collector.

Brook focuses his attention on a globe in the painting. The globe was made in 1618 by Hendrick Hondius, and was an update of the famous globe created by his father Jodocus in 1600. Major inroads were being made in global travel. The additional route to Southeast Asia found in 1610 by a Dutch navigator shortened the distance between the East and the West, thereby providing additional information for traveling. The cartouche on the globe is example of this newfound knowledge and the need for additional knowledge. As with other globes and the cartouches they show, the globemaker implores people to send information to ensure accurate information for all those who seek it.