In View of Delft, how is the Comparison with other paintings discussed?
Delft was also painted by Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom in View of Delft from the North-west and View of Delft from the South-west (1615), Carel Fabritius in A View of Delft (1652), Egbert van der Poel in View of Delft Explosion of 1654 (after the explosion of 1654), and Pieter Wouwerman in View of the horse market in Delft (1665). Vroom was most known for his seascapes, which is why his views of Delft focus on the river Schie rather than the buildings of the town. Like Vermeer's painting, Fabritius's A View of Delft features the Nieuwe Kerk. This painting was likely meant to be seen in a perspective box through a peephole as a trompe l'œil (trick of the eye), which would trick the viewer's eye into seeing a three-dimensional view of the street. Van der Poel's painting shows both the Nieuwe Kerk and the Oude Kerk, as well as the chapel of the hospital of St. George. The scene depicts the town after 40,000 kg of gunpowder exploded, killing hundreds of people including Carel Fabritius. Despite the devastation, the two churches still stand. Unlike other paintings of Delft which feature a busy harbour, Vermeer only painted a few boats. Vermeer also painted Delft from the south side instead of the more popular north side, as the south side was the only part of the town where buildings were left untouched by the Delft Thunderclap (explosion).
Delft trompe l'œil Nieuwe Kerk explosion of 1654 Oude Kerk Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom Carel Fabritius Delft Thunderclap A View of Delft Egbert van der Poel Pieter Wouwerman Schie