As we left the museum we saw before us the entrance to the old church, and a plaque near it that told about Jan Vermeer, a very sad tale indeed. He was a Catholic, married, with 12 children. Unfortunately for him and his family, the wars with Spain ruined the economy, so he never made much money. It made me realize that I do not associate Vermeer with portraits of rich Nederlanders, the way I do Van Dyke, Rembrandt and Hals , Rubens and others who are less famous. The economic climate when Vermeer lived apparently did not produce commissions for portraits or for the religious subjects which were major sources of income for other great artists. I think that his paintings generally were of simple subjects-- home interiors, the kitchen maid, a lady reading a letter and street and building scenes. No one paid much for such simple executions. So he never earned much with his painting. His life ended in poverty - another genius, like Mozart, who had the misfortune to exercise that genius during harsh economies. Much of this, of course is just surmise on my part that may be incorrect. I know that there are some art historians who get this email, and I hope that they will comment on this guesswork.