Why Vermeer’s paintings are less ‘real’ than we think

Sitting in front of The Milkmaid (c1658-59), Johannes Vermeer’s exquisite, enigmatic masterpiece, which is currently on display in a stunning exhibition at the Louvre, Blaise Ducos, the show’s curator, leans back and smiles. “Actually,” he says, “Vermeer isn’t an original artist. Most of his ideas, his compositions, even his tricks, come from other painters.” He shrugs. “Still, he dwarfs them all.”