Can't find the painting that you are looking for? No problem! We can paint any painting in any size, even if it's not listed on our website. Simply make a request and we will get back to you with a quote within a few hours.
Optional - receive your painting ready to hang. Note we are only able to ship framed paintings up to a certain size. Once the maximum size is reached, the framing option is automatically disabled. If ordered without a frame the painting will arrive rolled inside a protective tube with an extra 1.5" white canvas on all sides so you can easily frame it in any local frame shop.
Jan Vermeer Van Delft's enigmatic painting The Geographer, signed and dated 1669 is most likely a companion piece to the artist's canvas The Astronomer, painted at much the same time. Sharing the unique quality of being the only figurative reproductions of male figures in Vermeer's entire oeuvre that represent the following of scholarly activities, and in the knowledge that the works remained together until 1778, one must surely take them as a pair. Most likely commissioned by an individual interested in such pursuits, Vermeer has carefully articulated the idiosyncrasies of the scientific instruments. During Vermeer's lifetime there was emerging interest, primarily spawned by Descartes' Rationalism, in exploring the mysteries of the universe for the sake of inquisitiveness.
Having only produced forty paintings, Vermeer's works are filled with an enigmatic originality, balance and ambiguity that is surely heightened by the sparseness of detail that surrounds his life and works. His creative output was probably restricted by his meagre earnings and need to support his fifteen children. Held in high esteem by his fellow artists, Vermeer's genre portraits of domestic interiors and middle class life have allowed the artist to make the transition into the modern world as a craftsman of poignancy and resonance. Now recognized as a master of the Dutch Golden Age, the startling presence of his small body of work is arguably heightened by the fact that almost all of his works were painted in two rooms in his house in Delft, featuring the same furniture, decorations, and sitters. The Geographer appears to feature the same model as was used for his contemporaneous painting, The Astronomer. This moving reproduction of the embryonic craft of geography is a remarkable document from a world at the cusp of seismic shifts in understanding.
Real Oil Paints, Real Brushes, Real Artists, Real Art. The Certificate of Authenticity which arrives with every painting provides an assurance and verifies the authenticity of the hand painted fine art reproduction you purchased. Each oil painting is created by hand using only the finest canvas and oil paints available.
Important Notes About Your Painting:
If you have any request to alter your reproduction of The Geographer c. 1668,
you must email us after placing your order and we'll have an artist contact you.
If you have another image of The Geographer c. 1668
that you would like the artist to work from, please include it as an attachment. Otherwise, we will reproduce the above image for you exactly as it is.
Free shipping is included in the price of the painting. Once the painting is ready and dry enough to ship, we will roll it and ship it in a sturdy cardboard tube.
We always ship express via courier to ensure your order reaches you as soon as possible - normally within three business days. The total delivery time from the moment you place your order until the package is delivered to your door is normally between three to four weeks.
If, in the unlikely event you were dissatisfied with the painting after reviewing it in person, it can be returned for a full refund for up to 365 days after delivery.
When you receive the painting; you are free to return it for more revisions or else for a full refund minus our actual shipping cost -- which is, on average, $25 per painting.
1st Art Gallery provides a full warranty covering manufacturing and material defects for paintings purchased from our website. The warranty covers damage for normal use. Damage caused by incidents such as accidents or inappropriate use are not covered.
Depending on the degree of damage to the warranted painting, it will either be repaired or replaced. This warranty service is provided free of charge.
When purchasing a painting on its own, it will arrive rolled inside a secure tube with an extra 1.5" of white canvas on all sides so you can easily frame it in any local frame shop.
You may choose to purchase your painting framed, in which case, it will arrive "ready to hang". We offer more than 20 beautiful models, all hand finished and expertly assembled by our experienced framers.
Note that for safety reasons we can only frame up to a certain size. Once the maximum size is reached the framing option is automatically disabled.
If you are planning to frame your painting yourself,
use an existing frame, or frame it locally, you may choose to order your painting with a stretching service,
meaning that it will arrive mounted on wooden bars.
If you're considering not framing your painting at all, you may opt for a Gallery Wrap. The term Gallery Wrap refers to the way the canvas is stretched, which is by wrapping it around thick stretcher bars, about 1.5 inch thick, with the canvas being secured to the back rather than the sides of those bars.
All orders ship with UPS, FedEx or DHL and will arrive directly to your home or office. A tracking number will be emailed to you as soon as the order leaves our studio so you can track it online. All orders ship express and usually arrive within 4-5 days from the shipping date. Due to shipping restraints, many of our framed, stretched, and oversize paintings may take 6-21 days for arrival depending on the safest route determined by the postal service.