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Moses Myers House

323 E. Freemason St.
Open Saturday and Sunday

Noon–5 p.m.

Jean Outland Chrysler Library

Reading Room
Wednesday-Friday
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Closed May 17-19, 2024

About the Myers House

The oldest Jewish home in America open to the public as a museum offers a glimpse of the life of an early 19th century merchant family.
More about the house

About the Library

With an extensive collection of more than 106,000 rare and unique volumes relating to the history of art, the Jean Outland Chrysler Art Library is one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the library

Located in Norfolk

One Memorial Place,
Norfolk, VA
Get Directions

While You're Here

Visit our Museum Shop
and Zinnia Cafe.

Perry Glass Studio

A state-of-art facility on the Museum’s campus. See a free glassmaking demo Tuesdays–Sunday at noon. Like what you see? Take a class with us! More about the Studio

The Myers House

The home of the first permanent Jewish residents of Norfolk, this historic house offers a glimpse of the life of a wealthy early 19th-century merchant family.
More about the house

Jean Outland Chrysler Library

With an extensive collection of more than 106,000 rare and unique volumes relating to the history of art, the Jean Outland Chrysler Library is one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the Library

Wedding & Event Rentals

The perfect place for your big day or special event. Get the details

Field Trips

Field trips are available for groups of 60 or fewer. More about field trips

Jean Outland Chrysler Library

Visit one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the library

About the Chrysler

Our story spans well over 100 years. See where we began, how we grew, and where we're going. Explore our history

News and Announcements

See what's happening at the Museum, read Chrysler Magazine, and find our Media Center. Read now

Location

One Memorial Place
Norfolk, VA 23510

Location

245 Grace Street
Norfolk, VA 23510
757-333-6299

Always Free Parking

Get Directions

Visiting Artist Series

Bringing the world’s top glass art talent to Hampton Roads
Find out more

Studio Team

Meet the brilliant minds behind the Studio.
See the team

Give the Chrysler Experience

Share everything you love about the Chrysler Museum with a gift membership. Perfect for everyone on your list.

The Masterpiece Society

Learn about this innovative group of museum supporters.
Meet the Masterpiece Society

Planned Giving

Help ensure the long-term success of the Museum.
Learn about planned giving

Moses Myers House

323 E. Freemason St.
Open Saturday and Sunday

Noon–5 p.m.

Jean Outland Chrysler Library

Reading Room
Wednesday-Friday
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Closed May 17-19, 2024

About the Myers House

The oldest Jewish home in America open to the public as a museum offers a glimpse of the life of an early 19th century merchant family.
More about the house

About the Library

With an extensive collection of more than 106,000 rare and unique volumes relating to the history of art, the Jean Outland Chrysler Art Library is one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the library

Located in Norfolk

One Memorial Place,
Norfolk, VA
Get Directions

While You're Here

Visit our Museum Shop
and Zinnia Cafe.

Perry Glass Studio

A state-of-art facility on the Museum’s campus. See a free glassmaking demo Tuesdays–Sunday at noon. Like what you see? Take a class with us! More about the Studio

The Myers House

The home of the first permanent Jewish residents of Norfolk, this historic house offers a glimpse of the life of a wealthy early 19th-century merchant family.
More about the house

Jean Outland Chrysler Library

With an extensive collection of more than 106,000 rare and unique volumes relating to the history of art, the Jean Outland Chrysler Library is one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the Library

Wedding & Event Rentals

The perfect place for your big day or special event. Get the details

Field Trips

Field trips are available for groups of 60 or fewer. More about field trips

Jean Outland Chrysler Library

Visit one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the library

About the Chrysler

Our story spans well over 100 years. See where we began, how we grew, and where we're going. Explore our history

News and Announcements

See what's happening at the Museum, read Chrysler Magazine, and find our Media Center. Read now

Location

One Memorial Place
Norfolk, VA 23510

Location

245 Grace Street
Norfolk, VA 23510
757-333-6299

Always Free Parking

Get Directions

Visiting Artist Series

Bringing the world’s top glass art talent to Hampton Roads
Find out more

Studio Team

Meet the brilliant minds behind the Studio.
See the team

Give the Chrysler Experience

Share everything you love about the Chrysler Museum with a gift membership. Perfect for everyone on your list.

The Masterpiece Society

Learn about this innovative group of museum supporters.
Meet the Masterpiece Society

Planned Giving

Help ensure the long-term success of the Museum.
Learn about planned giving

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ArtExhibitionsPast

Johannes Vermeer: “A Lady Writing”

On View

November 1, 2016 — December 18, 2016

Location

Past Exhibition

The Chrysler Museum of Art is pleased to announce a six-week exhibition of a Johannes Vermeer masterpiece. A Lady Writing comes to us from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Vermeer’s works are as highly regarded as they are rare, as only 35 of his paintings survive to this day. An incredibly skilled craftsman held in high esteem by his fellow Dutch Golden Age painters in the city of Delft, his understanding of light and its color-related effects are revered to this day.

After his death in 1675, he left behind 11 children and many debts. Since most of his paintings were sold to local collectors, his fame did not spread and his work was largely overlooked until the 19th century. Vermeer worked slowly, roughly three paintings per year, and used very expensive pigments, such as lapis lazuli, or natural ultramarine.

This painting, completed around 1665, is notable for its use of lead-tin-yellow pigment. It’s done in a style often seen in Vermeer’s work—an intimate interior scene with light coming from the left. Many of his paintings feature the same furnishings, as he did much of his painting in two rooms of his home.

Johannes Vermeer, A Lady Writing
Johannes Vermeer, A Lady Writing, oil on canvas, ca. 1665. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Johannes Vermeer, The Procuress
Johannes Vermeer, The Procuress, oil on canvas, 1656. This painting can be seen in the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden, Germany. We publish it here because experts believe the young man on the far left is actually a Vermeer self-portrait. He was 24 years old at the time of this painting. It is one of only three paintings Vermeer ever signed and dated.

This work is one of three Vermeers owned by the National Gallery of Art. The appeal of his work was powerfully demonstrated in 1995, when the NGA presented a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition—21 of Vermeer’s 35 works in one gallery.

During the run, the National Gallery was closed because of a budget dispute between President Bill Clinton and the Republican majority in Congress. Private funds were quickly raised, and while the main institution was closed, the Vermeer exhibition remained open.

More special exhibitions

On view right now

Oil on canvas self-portrait of Bernard Conda
Through December 1, 2024

Bernard Conda: A Day in the Life
Exhibition Details

Peter Bremers Sapphire Ice Cave - Glass Object
Through January 19, 2025

Peter Bremers: Ice to Water
Exhibition Details