How I came to adore Jan Vermeer - a short tale of failing human memory

This thread could go whereever psychology or neuroscience goes. Science and Medicine?

Or perhaps this belongs in Art. Or History. Never mind.


I have been an ardent adorer of Jan Vermeer and the beauty and perfection of his paintings since 1993, I guess around this time of the year, when I saw some of his large paintings in the Prado in Madrid. At the time, I was 25 and not educated in the old masters, the name didn't ring a bell with me. It now does, with a vengeance.
(Same day, same place, I also came to love Francisco Goya)

So I was happy yesterday to visit Delft, the place where Jan Vermeer worked, lived, died and is buried. I stood on his grave in the Old Church, and beheld a View of Delft from very nearly the spot where he painted it.

I perused Wikipedia to refresh my memory of his life and work.
And this is what I found:

• Jan Vermeer left only 37 painting to our time that are ascribed to him
• I looked at them all, and could not recall which ones had lit the flame of passion in my heart 26 years ago
• None of his paintings is as large as I remembered them
• None of his paintings are in the Prado in Madrid

I have no idea whose paintings I fell in love with in the Prado! And I have no idea why I thought I fell in love with Vermeer. Such is human memory: It sometimes plays weird tricks on you.
(My recollection of the Goyas is accurate)

via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/30ZMsZF