About 30 years ago, two art thieves dressed as police officers made their way into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and stole multiple artworks, including a Vermeer painting that was one of only 36 by the artist. With an estimated value of over $200 million, " The Concert" remains one of the most expensive missing items on the FBI's list of stolen art. With the rest of Vermeer's masterpieces spread across 17 collections in seven countries, people have never had the opportunity to see all of Vermeer's works in one place. And since some of his works are now too fragile to travel, they'll have to remain where they are forever.
But now, you can experience all of Vermeer's known artworks in one place for the first time. They're available in Pocket Gallery, a brand new function on the Google Arts & Culture app. You can pull out your phone and step into a virtual exhibition space to see all of his 36 works — including the missing masterpiece and the famous " Girl with a Pearl Earring. "
The Art Camera was set up in several galleries around the world, creating the highest-ever resolution (分辨率) pictures of eight of Vermeer's masterpieces. You can also dive into " in painting tours" and explore expert opinions that shed light on Vermeer's art or mysterious life — you can hear from Tracy Chevalier, author of the bestseller " Girl with a Pearl Earring" and read essays on the artist's life and art.
Visit g. co/meetvermeer, join the conversation with MeetVermeer or download the app on either iOS or Android to try out Pocket Gallery.