Queen Louise of Prussia

This bronze sculpture, "Queen Louise of Prussia," is attributed to Johannes Vermeer, though the artist's known body of work consists almost entirely of oil paintings depicting domestic interior scenes. Born in 1632 and dying in 1675, Vermeer was a Dutch painter from the Golden Age, renowned for his masterful use of light and careful, slow working method. The Art Institute of Chicago's record indicates this bronze was modeled in 1799 and cast between 1819 and 1821, which falls well after Vermeer's death. This suggests a misattribution or a different artist named Johannes Vermeer. The Vermeer we know, "The Sphinx of Delft," specialized in genre painting and was not known to produce sculpture. His works, like "Young Woman with a Water Pitcher" or "A Maid Asleep," are celebrated for their subtle narratives and luminous qualities, a stark contrast to a commemorative bronze sculpture. It's plausible this artwork is by a different artist with a similar name, or it's a later interpretation or copy of a work by another artist entirely. The museum's collection also lists other works by Vermeer, all paintings, which further highlights this piece as an anomaly.