A groundbreaking exhibition at London's Kenwood House is displaying two nearly identical paintings that have puzzled art historians for nearly a century. The show, titled "Double Vision: Vermeer," presents Johannes Vermeer's authenticated masterpiece "The Guitar Player" alongside its enigmatic counterpart "Lady with a Guitar," reigniting debates about which artist created the second work.
The Guitar Player, created by Vermeer in 1672, depicts a woman playing guitar and is considered one of only 37 known paintings by the Dutch master. Vermeer specialized in capturing everyday domestic life with extraordinary precision and artistry. English Heritage, which operates Kenwood House, describes the work as "an exquisite work of art, perfectly capturing a single moment in time."
The mystery surrounding these two paintings began in the 1920s when Lady with a Guitar, on loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, was originally believed to be the authentic Vermeer. However, when the Kenwood House version emerged in 1927, it quickly gained acceptance as the genuine work due to its superior condition and apparent authenticity. The Philadelphia painting was assumed to be the original until this discovery changed everything.
While the compositions are virtually identical, key differences distinguish the two works. The most noticeable variation lies in the subject's hairstyle: the woman in the Kenwood painting wears her hair in ringlets, while the Philadelphia version does not. Additionally, the Kenwood painting bears Vermeer's signature, whereas the Philadelphia version remains unsigned.
Recent scientific analysis has revealed significant differences in the paintings' materials and techniques. The Kenwood painting was prepared with a single pale gray-brown ground layer, while the Philadelphia version uses a dark brown base. Most notably, the Kenwood work contains extensive use of ultramarine, an expensive blue pigment favored by Vermeer, while the Philadelphia painting uses indigo, a cheaper alternative.
Over the past two years, conservators and art historians from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., have conducted comprehensive research on the Philadelphia painting. Simultaneously, English Heritage and London's National Gallery have undertaken new studies of the Kenwood work. While research continues and full findings await publication, early discoveries support growing evidence about the paintings' origins.
Gregor Weber, former head of fine arts at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum and a Vermeer specialist, believes the Philadelphia painting is likely an early copy of the Kenwood original. He notes that the hairstyle in the Philadelphia version reflects fashion trends beginning around 1680, as seen in portraits by contemporary artists like Jan Verkolje in Delft and Nicolaes Maes in Amsterdam. This stylistic modernization suggests the copy was created after Vermeer's original work.
In 2023, Arie Wallert, a former scientific specialist at the Rijksmuseum, told a symposium in Amsterdam that two versions of the work exist by Vermeer. However, mounting evidence increasingly points to only the Kenwood House painting being authentic. The Philadelphia painting's ownership history places it in the private Cremer collection in Brussels during the 19th century, later acquired by Pennsylvania lawyer John Johnson, who died in 1917. The Kenwood painting was part of the Iveagh collection, bequeathed by Lord Iveagh in 1927.
Jennifer Thompson, curator of European painting and sculpture at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, emphasizes the exhibition's significance for advancing scholarly understanding. "Double Vision provides a thrilling opportunity to place the two pictures side by side and to consider what science and connoisseurship offer to our understanding of Vermeer and 17th-century painting materials and techniques," she stated.
The exhibition invites visitors to examine both works closely and form their own conclusions about this enduring art historical mystery. Rather than drawing definitive conclusions, the display encourages viewers to witness the mastery of one of the 17th century's greatest artists while contemplating questions of authenticity that have captivated experts for generations. This rare opportunity to view both paintings together represents a significant moment in Vermeer scholarship and public art education.
