Drawing on newly uncovered archival material from Delft, Rotterdam, and beyond, Andrew offers a dramatic reassessment of Johannes Vermeer – not as the isolated genius of legend, but as a painter deeply embedded in the radical, intellectual, and political life of the Dutch Golden Age. He reveals Vermeer’s hitherto unknown friendships, his ties to a radical underground movement, and the powerful women who shaped both his private life and career. Alongside these he offers fresh interpretations of beloved masterpieces, including Girl with a Pearl Earring, A View of Delft, The Milkmaid, and Woman Reading a Letter – recasting them in a bold new light. Andrew Graham-Dixon is an art historian, biographer and broadcaster who has made more BBC television series about art than any other presenter. He was for many years the main art critic of the Sunday Telegraph and Independent. His Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane (2011) was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize and has been translated into seven languages. He has also, amongst others, judged the Turner Prize, the BP National Portrait Prize and the Annual British Animation Awards and has served on the Government Art Collection Committee. He currently serves as an ambassador for the Prince’s Teaching Institute and is a member of English Heritage’s Blue Plaques panel.

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