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Το καπέλο του Βερμέερ: Ο 17ος αιώνας και οι απαρχές της παγκοσμιοποίησης
Ένας στρατιώτης φλερτάρει µε ένα γελαστό κορίτσι σε ένα καθιστικό στην Ολλανδία. Μια γυναίκα ζυγίζει νοµίσµατα µπροστά από ένα παράθυρο. Οι πίνακες του Βερµέερ µάς σαγηνεύουν µε την οµορφιά και το µυστήριο που τους περιβάλλει: ποιές ιστορίες να κρύβονται άραγε πίσω από αυτές τις εκπληκτικά απεικονισµένες στιγµές; Όπως µας δείχνει το βιβλίο αυτό, οι εικόνες αυτές που µοιάζουν τόσο οικείες, στην πραγµατικότητα προσφέρουν µια αξιοθαύµαστη θέα σε έναν κόσµο που επεκτείνει τα όριά του µε ταχείς ρυθµούς. Το καπέλο του αξιωµατικού είναι φτιαγµένο από γούνα κάστορα από τον Καναδά, ενώ τα ασηµένια νοµίσµατα που έχουν εξορυχθεί στο Περού, µπορούν να χρησιµοποιηθούν για την αγορά της κινεζικής πορσελάνης που βλέπουµε σε άλλους πίνακες.
Ξεκινώντας από το στούντιο του Βερµέερ, ο συγγραφέας ανιχνεύει το εµπορικό δίκτυο που απλωνόταν σε όλη την υδρόγειο κατά τον 17ο αιώνα. Οι αποβάθρες της Ολλανδίας ήταν «ένας κατάλογος απογραφής του πιθανού». Το βιβλίο αυτό δείχνει πόσο πλούσιος ήταν αυτός ο κατάλογος, και πόσο αυτό επαναπροσδιόρισε τον κόσµο πολύ πιο δυναµικά από ό,τι το αντιλαµβανόµασταν έως σήµερα.
Ο Timothy Brook αποτυπώνει ένα ραγδαία αναπτυσσόμενο εμπορικό δίκτυο χάρη στο οποίο έβρισκε κανείς ένα γουναρικό από κάστορα, ένα τουρκικό χαλί ή ένα κινεζικό μπολ σε ένα σαλόνι του Ντελφτ. Οι αποβάθρες της Ολλανδίας, έγραφε ένας Γάλλος επισκέπτης, ήταν «ένας κατάλογος απογραφής του πιθανού». Το καπέλο του Βερμέερ δείχνει ακριβώς αυτό: πόσο πλούσιος ήταν αυτός ο κατάλογος και πώς η επιθυμία απόκτησης τέτοιων αγαθών επηρέαζε τη διαμόρφωση του κόσμου πολύ πιο βαθιά απ’ όσο αντιλαμβανόταν κανείς. Το βιβλίο προσφέρει ένα πλήθος νέων στοιχείων που μας βοηθούν να κατανοήσουμε βαθύτερα τόσο τους πίνακες του Βερμέερ όσο και την εποχή που απεικονίζουν.
Ξεκινώντας από το στούντιο του Βερµέερ, ο συγγραφέας ανιχνεύει το εµπορικό δίκτυο που απλωνόταν σε όλη την υδρόγειο κατά τον 17ο αιώνα. Οι αποβάθρες της Ολλανδίας ήταν «ένας κατάλογος απογραφής του πιθανού». Το βιβλίο αυτό δείχνει πόσο πλούσιος ήταν αυτός ο κατάλογος, και πόσο αυτό επαναπροσδιόρισε τον κόσµο πολύ πιο δυναµικά από ό,τι το αντιλαµβανόµασταν έως σήµερα.
Ο Timothy Brook αποτυπώνει ένα ραγδαία αναπτυσσόμενο εμπορικό δίκτυο χάρη στο οποίο έβρισκε κανείς ένα γουναρικό από κάστορα, ένα τουρκικό χαλί ή ένα κινεζικό μπολ σε ένα σαλόνι του Ντελφτ. Οι αποβάθρες της Ολλανδίας, έγραφε ένας Γάλλος επισκέπτης, ήταν «ένας κατάλογος απογραφής του πιθανού». Το καπέλο του Βερμέερ δείχνει ακριβώς αυτό: πόσο πλούσιος ήταν αυτός ο κατάλογος και πώς η επιθυμία απόκτησης τέτοιων αγαθών επηρέαζε τη διαμόρφωση του κόσμου πολύ πιο βαθιά απ’ όσο αντιλαμβανόταν κανείς. Το βιβλίο προσφέρει ένα πλήθος νέων στοιχείων που μας βοηθούν να κατανοήσουμε βαθύτερα τόσο τους πίνακες του Βερμέερ όσο και την εποχή που απεικονίζουν.
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 26, 2007
284 people are currently reading
3061 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Brook
32 books104 followersTimothy James Brook is a Canadian historian, sinologist, and writer specializing in the study of China (sinology). He holds the Republic of China Chair, Department of History, University of British Columbia.
His research interests include the social and cultural history of the Ming Dynasty in China; law and punishment in Imperial China; collaboration during Japan's wartime occupation of China, 1937–45 and war crimes trials in Asia; global history; and historiography.
His research interests include the social and cultural history of the Ming Dynasty in China; law and punishment in Imperial China; collaboration during Japan's wartime occupation of China, 1937–45 and war crimes trials in Asia; global history; and historiography.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
February 28, 2008
This was an interesting and enlightening book, but, imho, it engaged in false advertising.
Timothy Brook, an Oxford scholar, uses five Johannes Vermeer paintings (plus a couple of other artworks) as ways to explore the expanding world of global trade and intercultural contact in the 1600s.
In the title chapter, for instance, he uses one of those fantastically broad-brimmed Dutch hats in a Vermeer painting to explore the beaver trapping trade in Canada when the French first arrived (which taught me that beavers were actually more valuable for their skin than their fur, because that was what was used for the felt made into hats).
Other paintings help Brook explore trade in fine china, in tobacco, in silver, and to look at the ways people from one culture ended up spending most of their lives in another, either by choice or fate.
The only trouble is, this book in the end has very little to do with Holland or the Dutch colonial expansion, let alone Vermeer himself, because (and this should have been a big clue) Brook is a China studies scholar.
So much of the book takes place in China, or deals with contacts between the Chinese and the Portugese and Spanish (Holland's great rivals at the time).
And while all that was interesting, I felt a bit cheated, because I suspect Mr. Brook and his publishers knew they wouldn't sell as many copies of a book called "Yang Shicong's Pipe."
September 16, 2019
Timothy Brook brings a fascinating perspective on Vermeer's world by using his works of art as portals back to the 17th century in how economic changes and empire-building linked Delft (Vermeer's hometown in the Netherlands) to distant China and the Americas. It is a masterful study that I couldn't put down. It does a great job of not sounding overly erudite and yet now too many "I think" or exclamation points (two pet peeves that I have with other historical or biographical books such as the abysmal biography of Leonard da Vinci by Isaacson). For fans of art, you can learn quite a lot about history and vice-versa. It also gave me an interesting plot idea...Happy reading.
February 15, 2012
Vermeer’s Hat by Timothy Brook is not really about Vermeer, or hats, or art for that matter. It’s a book about globalization sixteenth century-style. Using elements from a few of the Dutchman’s paintings – plus some others from the period – the author identifies evidence of global trade, of the economic history of a century that saw the opening up of commerce on a scale the world had previously not known. And unlike the more academic studies of Wallerstein or Gunder Frank, Timothy Brook’s book is accessible even to the casual reader. Its approach is highly original; its style is lucid and clear; its scholarship is nothing less than phenomenal.
Early on in the text the author reminds us of the fundamental difference between the passing image and the narrative of art. ‘Paintings are not “taken”, like photographs;’ Timothy Brook writes, ‘they are “made”, carefully and deliberately and not to show an objective reality so much as to present a particular scenario.’ Objects in a painting are there for a reason. They are part of a narrative or comment that the artist chooses to relate, perhaps consciously. Our tasks as observers are partly to interpret as well as respond, as well as merely see. And make no mistake, the process is intellectual, not just aesthetic. With an admirable eye for detail, Timothy Brook thus analyses seventeenth century paintings for evidence of international trade. But this is only a starting point for a truly global tour.
A beaver hat, for instance, leads him to relate the story of how French expeditions into Canada sought pelts to feed demand for high fashion in Europe. It was the beaver’s fortune – or perhaps misfortune – to be born with a fur that, when transformed into felt, remained waterproof, and hence kept its shape in the rain. The consequences of this trade – apart from the obvious ones for the beavers – included conflicts with indigenous people, followed by subjugation and, in some cases, annihilation.
A Chinese vase, a Turkish carpet and other artefacts around the house lead to the history of trade with the east and thus into how China developed into a manufacturing centre that sucked in Spanish colonial silver from South America to pay for its wares. A discussion of the galleon trade leads to Spain’s annexation of Manila and later the whole of the Philippines. In order to compete the Portuguese establish in Macau and the Dutch colonise the spiced islands.
What impresses the reader of Vermeer’s Hat is Timothy Brook’s skill – an artist’s skill, no less – in assembling potentially disparate scenes into an engaging and ultimately convincing narrative. Economic history thus becomes an engaging story that makes perfect sense. By the end of the century the British were also on the scene, having taken advantage of victories over the competition.
We follow the spice trade, the spread of tobacco, trade in silk and ceramics and, of course, the lives of people who pursued and controlled the commerce. We learn how administrators and rulers reaped their own rewards, how illicit goods were smuggled in the same holds as declared cargoes. We see fortunes made and lost, ships sailed and sunk, reputations created and destroyed. And certainly we recognise the world as we know it, a modern world where only the technology is different. Vermeer’s Hat is a must for anyone who thinks that globalization might be a recent phenomenon.
Early on in the text the author reminds us of the fundamental difference between the passing image and the narrative of art. ‘Paintings are not “taken”, like photographs;’ Timothy Brook writes, ‘they are “made”, carefully and deliberately and not to show an objective reality so much as to present a particular scenario.’ Objects in a painting are there for a reason. They are part of a narrative or comment that the artist chooses to relate, perhaps consciously. Our tasks as observers are partly to interpret as well as respond, as well as merely see. And make no mistake, the process is intellectual, not just aesthetic. With an admirable eye for detail, Timothy Brook thus analyses seventeenth century paintings for evidence of international trade. But this is only a starting point for a truly global tour.
A beaver hat, for instance, leads him to relate the story of how French expeditions into Canada sought pelts to feed demand for high fashion in Europe. It was the beaver’s fortune – or perhaps misfortune – to be born with a fur that, when transformed into felt, remained waterproof, and hence kept its shape in the rain. The consequences of this trade – apart from the obvious ones for the beavers – included conflicts with indigenous people, followed by subjugation and, in some cases, annihilation.
A Chinese vase, a Turkish carpet and other artefacts around the house lead to the history of trade with the east and thus into how China developed into a manufacturing centre that sucked in Spanish colonial silver from South America to pay for its wares. A discussion of the galleon trade leads to Spain’s annexation of Manila and later the whole of the Philippines. In order to compete the Portuguese establish in Macau and the Dutch colonise the spiced islands.
What impresses the reader of Vermeer’s Hat is Timothy Brook’s skill – an artist’s skill, no less – in assembling potentially disparate scenes into an engaging and ultimately convincing narrative. Economic history thus becomes an engaging story that makes perfect sense. By the end of the century the British were also on the scene, having taken advantage of victories over the competition.
We follow the spice trade, the spread of tobacco, trade in silk and ceramics and, of course, the lives of people who pursued and controlled the commerce. We learn how administrators and rulers reaped their own rewards, how illicit goods were smuggled in the same holds as declared cargoes. We see fortunes made and lost, ships sailed and sunk, reputations created and destroyed. And certainly we recognise the world as we know it, a modern world where only the technology is different. Vermeer’s Hat is a must for anyone who thinks that globalization might be a recent phenomenon.
October 1, 2024
The supposed premise of this book is that Timothy Brook uses one element each from a half dozen 17th century Dutch paintings, all from Delft and primarily by Vermeer, as jumping off points to talk about the beginnings of a truly global world. The title object, a hat featured in Vermeer’s Officer and a Laughing Girl, is made from beaver fur. This triggers a discussion of the French exploration of the lands around the St. Lawrence River, their relationships with Native Americans, and the development of the fur trade.
This was easily the best chapter in the book. All of the following chapters focus to a lesser, and generally a greater, extent on the effects of internal Chinese politics on their interactions with Europeans. The fascination of the Dutch with newly imported delicate Chinese porcelain certainly merits an emphasis on China, but silver and tobacco? Brooks includes some discussion of the mines in Potosi, but most of his discussion of silver focuses on its effects on Chinese economy and politics. And tobacco? Really? 20th century attitudes of the Chinese upper classes toward machine made cigarettes vs. pipes for smoking is stretching Brooks’ premise a bit thin.
If I had done my homework before starting the book I would have learned that Brooks is a scholar of Chinese history, which certainly explains his insistence on including so much detail about power battles in the Ming dynasty bureaucracy. Ah, well.
If Brooks had stayed with big topics this would have been a much better book. For example, before reading it my impression of what happened with all that Peruvian silver was that it went back across the Atlantic to Spain and fed into the royal coffers. I was unaware of the trading that brought silver from Acapulco across the Pacific to Manila and then carried back to the New World, and ultimately Europe, porcelain and fine fabrics from China. You string together a few consecutive years of shipwrecks on these annual voyages and you’ve got yourself an economic nightmare. Great story that would have been more engaging without the nuances of the Chinese governmental infighting.
Brooks begins the book with an anecdote about a bicycle mishap he suffered in Delft while touring the Dutch countryside as a young man. It was this experience that prompted him to structure his book about the newly interactive world of the 1600s around the Dutch paintings. The idea works well in a few cases (the beaver fur hat and the blue and white porcelain plate, for instance), but he runs out of logical connections before he runs out of what he wants to say. Oh well, at least it’s reasonably well written.
This was easily the best chapter in the book. All of the following chapters focus to a lesser, and generally a greater, extent on the effects of internal Chinese politics on their interactions with Europeans. The fascination of the Dutch with newly imported delicate Chinese porcelain certainly merits an emphasis on China, but silver and tobacco? Brooks includes some discussion of the mines in Potosi, but most of his discussion of silver focuses on its effects on Chinese economy and politics. And tobacco? Really? 20th century attitudes of the Chinese upper classes toward machine made cigarettes vs. pipes for smoking is stretching Brooks’ premise a bit thin.
If I had done my homework before starting the book I would have learned that Brooks is a scholar of Chinese history, which certainly explains his insistence on including so much detail about power battles in the Ming dynasty bureaucracy. Ah, well.
If Brooks had stayed with big topics this would have been a much better book. For example, before reading it my impression of what happened with all that Peruvian silver was that it went back across the Atlantic to Spain and fed into the royal coffers. I was unaware of the trading that brought silver from Acapulco across the Pacific to Manila and then carried back to the New World, and ultimately Europe, porcelain and fine fabrics from China. You string together a few consecutive years of shipwrecks on these annual voyages and you’ve got yourself an economic nightmare. Great story that would have been more engaging without the nuances of the Chinese governmental infighting.
Brooks begins the book with an anecdote about a bicycle mishap he suffered in Delft while touring the Dutch countryside as a young man. It was this experience that prompted him to structure his book about the newly interactive world of the 1600s around the Dutch paintings. The idea works well in a few cases (the beaver fur hat and the blue and white porcelain plate, for instance), but he runs out of logical connections before he runs out of what he wants to say. Oh well, at least it’s reasonably well written.
March 22, 2020
Πολύ κατατοπιστικό για τον 17ο αι., το εμπόριο, τη συνάντηση διαφορετικών πολιτισμών, την ανάπτυξη των εμπορικών αυτοκρατοριών. Τον αιώνα που έθεσε το υπόβαθρο της σημερινής παγκόσμιας τάξης πραγμάτων.
Το σίγουρο είναι ότι όταν θα κοιτάζω έναν ζωγραφικό πίνακα από εδώ και στο εξής, θα ψάχνω να βρω τα σημάδια αυτά που θα μου πουν όχι μόνο την ιστορία του πίνακα, αλλά και την ιστορία τη δική μας. 😊
Το σίγουρο είναι ότι όταν θα κοιτάζω έναν ζωγραφικό πίνακα από εδώ και στο εξής, θα ψάχνω να βρω τα σημάδια αυτά που θα μου πουν όχι μόνο την ιστορία του πίνακα, αλλά και την ιστορία τη δική μας. 😊
January 6, 2022
Ο Timothy Brook είναι ιστορικός με εξειδίκευση στην κινεζική ιστορία. Ωστόσο, το βιβλίο του "Το καπέλο του Βερμέερ" ξεκινά από το Ντελφτ, την ολλανδική γενέτειρα του ζωγράφου Βερμέερ και μέσα από επτά έργα του συγκεκριμένου καλλιτέχνη μας δίνει μια εικόνα για τον κόσμο στο πρώτο μισό του 17ου αιώνα, τις απαρχές της παγκοσμιοποίησης (ακόμα θυμάμαι πόσο αρνητική χροιά είχε αυτή η λέξη στα σχολικά βιβλία μου εκεί στα μακρινά 90s!) και την ανάπτυξη των εμπορικών δρόμων που έφεραν πιο κοντά λαούς που αν και είχαν επικοινωνία, ήταν μέχρι τότε εν πολλοίς περιορισμένοι στα σύνορά τους.
Η ιδέα μου φάνηκε πολύ έξυπνη: Κάθε πίνακας που έχει επιλέξει ο συγγραφέας ανοίγει ένα παράθυρο στην εποχή του Βερμέερ μέσα από την παρατήρηση αντικειμένων που αποτελούν προϊόν αυτής της διάδρασης και της ανάπτυξης του διεθνούς εμπορίου: το τσόχινο καπέλο του στρατιώτη στον πίνακα "Στρατιώτης και γελαστό κορίτσι", η κινέζικη πορσελάνη στο έργο "Γυναίκα που διαβάζει γράμμα μπροστά σε ανοιχτό παράθυρο", οι χάρτες που εμπλουτίζονταν και ενημερώνονταν διαρκώς μετά από κάθε θαλάσσιο ταξίδι στον πίνακα "Ο γεωγράφος" και ούτω καθεξής.
Πιάνοντας το νήμα από αυτά τα αντικείμενα και με βάση πάντα το ολλανδικό Ντελφτ, ο Brook μας ταξιδεύει σε όλον τον κόσμο του 17ου αιώνα, με μια έμφαση στις εμπορικές συναλλαγές μεταξύ Ευρώπης και Ασίας: υφάσματα, μπαχαρικά, πορσελάνες, όπιο, ασήμι και (προφανώς) άνθρωποι είναι τα εμπορεύματα που ανταλλάσσονται και δημιουργούν μια παγκόσμια κοινωνία εμπορίου.
Πού καταλήγει αυτή η διαδρομή; Ουσιαστικά στο συμπέρασμα ότι η ιστορία μας είναι παγκόσμια και μόνο σε ένα πλαίσιο αλληλεπίδρασης μπορούμε να την αντιληφθούμε και να την κατανοήσουμε σωστά. Και με τα λόγια του ίδιου του συγγραφέα: "Αυτός είναι ο ένας και μοναδικός λόγος ύπαρξης του βιβλίου: το να γνωρίζουμε ότι ως είδος οφείλουμε να βρούμε τρόπο να διηγηθούμε το παρελθόν με έναν τρόπο που μας δίνει τη δυνατότητα να αναγνωρίσουμε και να αποδεχθούμε την καθολική φύση της εμπειρίας μας. Είναι ένα ουτοπικό ιδανικό - ενα ιδανικό που δεν έχουμε κατορθώσει ακόμα, και ίσως δεν κατορθώσουμε ποτέ να πραγματώσουμε, και όμως υφίσταται ως καθημερινή πραγματικότητα της επίγειας ζωής. Αν καταφέρουμε να δούμε ότι η ιστορία ενός τόπου εντέλει συνδέεται με την ιστορία όλου του κόσμου, τότε δεν υπάρχει κομμάτι του παρελθόντος - ούτε ολοκαύτωμα ούτε επίτευγμα - που να μην αποτελεί παγκόσμια κληρονομιά".
Η ιδέα μου φάνηκε πολύ έξυπνη: Κάθε πίνακας που έχει επιλέξει ο συγγραφέας ανοίγει ένα παράθυρο στην εποχή του Βερμέερ μέσα από την παρατήρηση αντικειμένων που αποτελούν προϊόν αυτής της διάδρασης και της ανάπτυξης του διεθνούς εμπορίου: το τσόχινο καπέλο του στρατιώτη στον πίνακα "Στρατιώτης και γελαστό κορίτσι", η κινέζικη πορσελάνη στο έργο "Γυναίκα που διαβάζει γράμμα μπροστά σε ανοιχτό παράθυρο", οι χάρτες που εμπλουτίζονταν και ενημερώνονταν διαρκώς μετά από κάθε θαλάσσιο ταξίδι στον πίνακα "Ο γεωγράφος" και ούτω καθεξής.
Πιάνοντας το νήμα από αυτά τα αντικείμενα και με βάση πάντα το ολλανδικό Ντελφτ, ο Brook μας ταξιδεύει σε όλον τον κόσμο του 17ου αιώνα, με μια έμφαση στις εμπορικές συναλλαγές μεταξύ Ευρώπης και Ασίας: υφάσματα, μπαχαρικά, πορσελάνες, όπιο, ασήμι και (προφανώς) άνθρωποι είναι τα εμπορεύματα που ανταλλάσσονται και δημιουργούν μια παγκόσμια κοινωνία εμπορίου.
Πού καταλήγει αυτή η διαδρομή; Ουσιαστικά στο συμπέρασμα ότι η ιστορία μας είναι παγκόσμια και μόνο σε ένα πλαίσιο αλληλεπίδρασης μπορούμε να την αντιληφθούμε και να την κατανοήσουμε σωστά. Και με τα λόγια του ίδιου του συγγραφέα: "Αυτός είναι ο ένας και μοναδικός λόγος ύπαρξης του βιβλίου: το να γνωρίζουμε ότι ως είδος οφείλουμε να βρούμε τρόπο να διηγηθούμε το παρελθόν με έναν τρόπο που μας δίνει τη δυνατότητα να αναγνωρίσουμε και να αποδεχθούμε την καθολική φύση της εμπειρίας μας. Είναι ένα ουτοπικό ιδανικό - ενα ιδανικό που δεν έχουμε κατορθώσει ακόμα, και ίσως δεν κατορθώσουμε ποτέ να πραγματώσουμε, και όμως υφίσταται ως καθημερινή πραγματικότητα της επίγειας ζωής. Αν καταφέρουμε να δούμε ότι η ιστορία ενός τόπου εντέλει συνδέεται με την ιστορία όλου του κόσμου, τότε δεν υπάρχει κομμάτι του παρελθόντος - ούτε ολοκαύτωμα ούτε επίτευγμα - που να μην αποτελεί παγκόσμια κληρονομιά".
August 4, 2021
Come descriverei questo libro?
- L'unione tra arte e storia!
- Una via di mezzo tra un racconto e un saggio!
- È una storia di oggetti che unisce la Cina, l'Europa e il Nuovo Mondo
Sono queste particolarità che coinvolgono il lettore.
Partendo da un fatto personale lo storico scopre Delft e il suo pittore più famoso: Johannes Vermeer.
Partendo da alcuni oggetti che troviamo all'interno di alcune opere Brook riesce a descrivere un'epoca straordinaria : il Seicento.
I viaggi, i commerci, gli usi, le tradizioni, la storia.. Oggetti che per noi sono banali e quotidiani ma che per i nostri predecessori simboleggiavano ricchezza e potere!
Avrei dato una stella in più se non ci fossero state così tante nozioni sulle vicende storiche cinesi che secondo me distolgono l'attenzione. Capisco che Brook è uno studioso della storia della Cina, ma dilunga troppo e diviene pesante!
Una frase del libro mi ha colpito perché dimostra la nostra fugacità: [Vermeer] "morì improvvisamente a 43 anni, sommerso dai debiti e con l'ispirazione ormai inaridita. La casa venne abbattuta nel XIX secolo, per cui della sua vita non ci rimane niente di tangible".
Rimangono solo le sue straordinarie opere sparse per il mondo, ma nessuna delle sue opere si trova a Delft. È incerta pure l'ubicazione della sua tomba: c'è una lastra sì ma non è certo che siano veramente in quel punto i suoi resti mortali. L'unica cosa certa è che fu seppellito nella Chiesa Vecchia della città e che la sua Arte è divenuta immortale!
- L'unione tra arte e storia!
- Una via di mezzo tra un racconto e un saggio!
- È una storia di oggetti che unisce la Cina, l'Europa e il Nuovo Mondo
Sono queste particolarità che coinvolgono il lettore.
Partendo da un fatto personale lo storico scopre Delft e il suo pittore più famoso: Johannes Vermeer.
Partendo da alcuni oggetti che troviamo all'interno di alcune opere Brook riesce a descrivere un'epoca straordinaria : il Seicento.
I viaggi, i commerci, gli usi, le tradizioni, la storia.. Oggetti che per noi sono banali e quotidiani ma che per i nostri predecessori simboleggiavano ricchezza e potere!
Avrei dato una stella in più se non ci fossero state così tante nozioni sulle vicende storiche cinesi che secondo me distolgono l'attenzione. Capisco che Brook è uno studioso della storia della Cina, ma dilunga troppo e diviene pesante!
Una frase del libro mi ha colpito perché dimostra la nostra fugacità: [Vermeer] "morì improvvisamente a 43 anni, sommerso dai debiti e con l'ispirazione ormai inaridita. La casa venne abbattuta nel XIX secolo, per cui della sua vita non ci rimane niente di tangible".
Rimangono solo le sue straordinarie opere sparse per il mondo, ma nessuna delle sue opere si trova a Delft. È incerta pure l'ubicazione della sua tomba: c'è una lastra sì ma non è certo che siano veramente in quel punto i suoi resti mortali. L'unica cosa certa è che fu seppellito nella Chiesa Vecchia della città e che la sua Arte è divenuta immortale!
April 27, 2023
By the 17th century, England and Holland had joined Portugal and Spain in sending fleets of ships around Africa for, as one historian (Vincent Cronin) noted, "slaves and salvation, gain and grace" The Wise Man from the West. Nowhere is this century more colourfully told than by Timothy Brook. By focusing on a handful of Vermeer's paintings, Brook opens up a vast and delightful treasure trove of tales grounded in 17th century history. As a historian of China, Brook uses China and Asia as his focal point, but the lessons of 'looking' and 'seeing' by studying Vermeer's works, is, as the Wall Street Journal review summed it up "A book that teaches us how to see," and truer words were never said.
I might also add, and 'how to love history'. This is one of the richest and most engaging books I have found on 17th century global history, and I enjoyed it as much this time (my third reading,), as my first. This time I was inspired by hearing of the current (spring 2023) Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-o...). I wanted a 'refresher' of the artist's work, but I found myself once more totally immersed in the 17th century.
Every teacher of high school European or Asian history or an introduction to art, should begin with this book as it instantly seduces readers into the succulent worlds of both. Never mind that its focus is the 17th century as seen in part through the eyes of one of its most famous artists. I have found that such books as Vermeer's Hat (and Nathaniel's Nutmeg: How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History) have the power to turn even the most recalcitrant of students into lovers of history (adults, as well).
I might also add, and 'how to love history'. This is one of the richest and most engaging books I have found on 17th century global history, and I enjoyed it as much this time (my third reading,), as my first. This time I was inspired by hearing of the current (spring 2023) Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-o...). I wanted a 'refresher' of the artist's work, but I found myself once more totally immersed in the 17th century.
Every teacher of high school European or Asian history or an introduction to art, should begin with this book as it instantly seduces readers into the succulent worlds of both. Never mind that its focus is the 17th century as seen in part through the eyes of one of its most famous artists. I have found that such books as Vermeer's Hat (and Nathaniel's Nutmeg: How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History) have the power to turn even the most recalcitrant of students into lovers of history (adults, as well).
April 16, 2012
I think I was mourning what could have been with this book, making it hard to appreciate what was. It offers no real insight to Vermeer or his paintings or to Holland and its global trade/conquest in the 1600s. Or very little. That is what I wanted. What it does do is give you an immense sense of how interconnected Europe and China were, the weight of China in the European imagination, the efforts of primarily the Portuguese and the Spanish to dominate trade and the vicissitudes they faced. This is so important and is ignored in most European histories, as though they were not shaped by such things. It is full of fascinating histories--as much through individual eyes as possible--of contact and violence and creation from both the European and Chinese sides, but I don't think the peg was the right one to hang them on...
March 5, 2025
The most misleading title of the year.
June 25, 2023
Not really what I was expecting (which was a book about Vermeer’s art), but a fascinating history of the development of trade in the seventeenth century nonetheless. It goes a little too deeply into its subject matter in places - as befits a book written by a specialist - but is worth the effort.
February 12, 2020
"Timothy Brook, historiador especializado en la historia china, nos presenta aquí una historia global de las transformaciones interculturales del siglo XVII y lo hace planteándonos cuestiones muy interesantes sobre la escritura de la historia.
Brook utiliza los cuadros de Vermeer y otros pintores de la época como puertas que se abren a aspectos sobre los que quiere atraer nuestra atención, nos explica apasionantes historias en tercera persona y se apoya en su experiencia personal para construir un relato que nos lleve a la principal conclusión del libro: como especie, tenemos que aprender a narrar la historia de manera que podamos reconocer y aceptar la naturaleza global de nuestra experiencia. En cierta manera, siempre hemos vivido en un mundo global, y nuestra experiencia e historia es común a nivel mundial.
Esta idea de experiencia común y compartida empieza a aflorar en el siglo XVII, y resulta apasionante seguir al autor alrededor del globo, mientras él mismo persigue a exploradores, comerciantes y esclavos, para poder explicar sus historias individuales y cómo se entrelazan e influyen unas a otras.
En definitiva, un libro apasionante que invita a la reflexión y abre puertas, a su vez, a una infinidad de lecturas". Mireya Valencia
Brook utiliza los cuadros de Vermeer y otros pintores de la época como puertas que se abren a aspectos sobre los que quiere atraer nuestra atención, nos explica apasionantes historias en tercera persona y se apoya en su experiencia personal para construir un relato que nos lleve a la principal conclusión del libro: como especie, tenemos que aprender a narrar la historia de manera que podamos reconocer y aceptar la naturaleza global de nuestra experiencia. En cierta manera, siempre hemos vivido en un mundo global, y nuestra experiencia e historia es común a nivel mundial.
Esta idea de experiencia común y compartida empieza a aflorar en el siglo XVII, y resulta apasionante seguir al autor alrededor del globo, mientras él mismo persigue a exploradores, comerciantes y esclavos, para poder explicar sus historias individuales y cómo se entrelazan e influyen unas a otras.
En definitiva, un libro apasionante que invita a la reflexión y abre puertas, a su vez, a una infinidad de lecturas". Mireya Valencia
March 12, 2017
awkwardly and sometimes irritatingly held together by the subject Vermeer that doesn't have much to do with the book at all. also wasn't impressed by the idea of opening doors in paintings which led the writer to even using another's painters work instead of one by Vermeer. as expected liked the parts about Vermeer and Delft and not so much the ones about China
September 22, 2025
Good if you don’t know much about the period. If you’ve read a few books covering the period, you’ll already know most of this. I did learn about the role of Manilla as a place where Chinese traders ventured beyond Chinese waters to trade with Europeans (Spanish) bringing silver from Petosi.
September 14, 2017
Initially I hated this so much but actually it was a really interesting way of exploring global history in the 17th century.
January 1, 2019
Fascinating book
January 15, 2024
[3.5 stars]
brook does a great job of tying things back together to the dutch city of delft and draws from historical anecdotes to weave a picture of commercialization, globalization, and the interactions between different communities in the 17th century.
i can't believe that i finished this in a day...operation academic weapon is going WELL
brook does a great job of tying things back together to the dutch city of delft and draws from historical anecdotes to weave a picture of commercialization, globalization, and the interactions between different communities in the 17th century.
i can't believe that i finished this in a day...operation academic weapon is going WELL
November 10, 2024
Livre de cours
March 24, 2019
This was a fascinating journey, mainly through some of the works of an artist who happened to be planted in the vortex of a new, much wider world that was just beginning to open. Disparagingly described by another reviewer as an excuse by the author to discuss his expertise in Chinese history, I found Vermeer’s Hat to be of endless interest, maybe because I had enjoyed the novel Shogun when first published and could already make some connections.
Johannes Vermeer was unique in the way he incorporated light into his paintings. This, plus the inclusion of specific artifacts within a scene and Vermeer’s particular location on the geographic map allows us to see further than a mere appreciation of a particular piece of art. By focussing on different elements within each artwork, the author enables us to not merely know about the world as it was, but even more intriguingly, explain how it came to evolve into the one we exist in now. The art is used as a window through which we can see how people in distinctly different worlds came to affect each other through what the author calls transculturation (but what my spell check so far refuses to accept or integrate into itself).
The history of the expansion of trade in the search for wealth, or to just get out of town, and the historical effects on our lives today is vastly intriguing. It seems a formidable task to unwind so many historical strands with so many cultural influences extending in so many geographic directions; every chapter of Vermeer’s Hat could easily be an entire book. For example, in the chapter “Weighing Silver” we learn how capitalism as we know it began, transforming the world from what it had always been into what it has become. The chapter on the fashion of beaver hats included many curious details that deepened my understanding of why Europeans came to inhabit, or invade, the American continent. Another chapter, discussing how the habit of smoking tobacco dominated world trade, was as astonishing as it was riveting, expounding a topic that that this reader would eagerly inhale if packed into a full tome.
Vermeer’s Hat has profoundly influenced my appreciation of art, at least those works produced by the 15th and 16th century Masters, Chinese porcelain, the colour blue, and Canadian beavers. It has been transformational (if not transcultural) in that way, taking me several weeks to finish because of the many happy hours spent paused while cruising the internet exploring further the works of Vermeer and his contemporaries, the influence of trade and its effects upon culture, and various unexpected side trips. There is much fodder to dive into for a deeper understanding of why we are where we are. Hola!
Johannes Vermeer was unique in the way he incorporated light into his paintings. This, plus the inclusion of specific artifacts within a scene and Vermeer’s particular location on the geographic map allows us to see further than a mere appreciation of a particular piece of art. By focussing on different elements within each artwork, the author enables us to not merely know about the world as it was, but even more intriguingly, explain how it came to evolve into the one we exist in now. The art is used as a window through which we can see how people in distinctly different worlds came to affect each other through what the author calls transculturation (but what my spell check so far refuses to accept or integrate into itself).
The history of the expansion of trade in the search for wealth, or to just get out of town, and the historical effects on our lives today is vastly intriguing. It seems a formidable task to unwind so many historical strands with so many cultural influences extending in so many geographic directions; every chapter of Vermeer’s Hat could easily be an entire book. For example, in the chapter “Weighing Silver” we learn how capitalism as we know it began, transforming the world from what it had always been into what it has become. The chapter on the fashion of beaver hats included many curious details that deepened my understanding of why Europeans came to inhabit, or invade, the American continent. Another chapter, discussing how the habit of smoking tobacco dominated world trade, was as astonishing as it was riveting, expounding a topic that that this reader would eagerly inhale if packed into a full tome.
Vermeer’s Hat has profoundly influenced my appreciation of art, at least those works produced by the 15th and 16th century Masters, Chinese porcelain, the colour blue, and Canadian beavers. It has been transformational (if not transcultural) in that way, taking me several weeks to finish because of the many happy hours spent paused while cruising the internet exploring further the works of Vermeer and his contemporaries, the influence of trade and its effects upon culture, and various unexpected side trips. There is much fodder to dive into for a deeper understanding of why we are where we are. Hola!
January 14, 2022
A different approach to history -- mostly using the subjects and objects in Vermeer's paintings and the Dutch town of Delft to bring out various aspects of history in the 1600s. This book could be described as the ecosystem of trading and the inter-connectedness of various countries and people in this century. Describes the rise of globalization and interesting viewpoints of the author who specializes in the history of China. Would I recommend it? Yes, it gets you thinking on a number of lines and interesting facts without being boring. Great book.
August 7, 2022
This was a very interesting book but not what I had expected. in each chapter the author, a professor of Chinese History, takes one of Vermeer’s paintings to help understand how the world was rapidly developing into a global trade network. Subjects include Chinese export porcelain, smoking and the opium trade, and the monetization of silver after Spain started mining in South America. If you are looking for a book about art of that era, this is probably not the book for you. But it gave me a much better understanding of the evolution of global trade.
May 16, 2023
This wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It’s not a book about Vermeer; it’s not even a book about the Dutch Republic. Rather, it takes 5 paintings by Vermeer, 2 by other Dutch artists and a porcelain dish and uses them as starting points for a discussion of the globalisation of the economy and society. The author is a specialist in Chinese history, and that is the focus of the book. I found some of the chapters more interesting than others, but parts of the book felt like a slog.
March 5, 2009
This book was very informative and some chapters were very interesting, such as The View From Delft, A Dish of Fruit and School for Smoking. However, the majority of the book was very drawn out and made for difficult reading. I found it very easy to get distracted and sometimes nodded off.
April 9, 2016
Very readable and full of fascinating stories of the seventeenth century. You have to keep your chronological wits about you as it does jump around. What is most valuable is having a sinologists's take on European trade.
July 3, 2022
Well-written book and good concept, but it also took me 5 years to finish because I kept forgetting that it existed, therefore a highly subjective 3 star rating
February 15, 2023
This made pots and plates deep
January 18, 2022
El libro es espectacular, concuerdo con muchas opiniones y conceptos que enmarcan a este libro en uno de los mejores de microhistoria, usar unos cuadros para explicar la mundialización del siglo XVII es espectacular.
El primer cuadro, un paisaje, nos cuenta mucho la historia de los Países Bajos, lo primero que uno se da cuenta es del cambio climático, la pequeña edad de hielo condicionó mucho el viejo continente; pestes, hambrunas y decenso demográfico, por otra parte, las bodegas de la VOC muestran el gran poderío colonial que tenían los neerlandeses en la competencia por el control de las indias orientales, finalmente, los barcos arqueros, muestra como los holandeses se enriquecieron bajo esta actividad tan lucrativa.
Un simple sombrero, nos permite explicar la dominación colonial francesas y neerlandeses en norte América, el deseo por buscar pieles de castor era importante, puesto que con esas se podía hacer fieltro necesario para los sombreros de la sociedad europea, además ello permitía financiar las campañas en busca de una ruta por Canadá hacia china, un lugar tan deseado por toda Europa.
Una porcelana china con fruta, con permite explicar cómo estás piezas eran tan deseadas en el antiguo continente, estos objetos exóticos eran valiosos para mostrar estatus, eran fáciles de limpiar, su popularidad fue tal, que se hacían réplicas en Holanda para las clases más bajas, la porcelana China era hecha según las necesidades de los comerciantes extranjeros.
Los mapas y el deseo de conocer más allá de lo conocido, llevo a muchos jóvenes a aventurarse, nuevas tierras a buscar nuevos territorios y asender socialmente, aunque mucho de estos terminaban en naufragio, mostrando también la relación que había entre el mundo chino y el europeo.
Un chino fumando tabaco, nos muestra cómo está práctica de origen americano se arraigo mucho en China, pese a que esta práctica trato de ser regulada por el gobierno, lo cierto es que era muy usada por el ejército como una forma de relajación, las mujeres de alto estatus fumaban, incluso tenían su propia pipa muy difente a la europea, había también manuales para un uso correcto del fumar.
La plata, extraída desde las Américas era muy importante para comprar cosas en China, su uso era muy importante en el país del dragón ya que era una moneda muy importante, este metal era lo único que podía ofrecer los europeos para dar a cambio de los productos orientales, era muy común en Europa pesar la plata puesto que muchas veces no era acuñada.
Un niño africano, siendo un sirviente nos cuenta mucho de las personas que fueron de un lugar a otro. La movilidad social en aquel siglo fue grande, ello claro, generando contactos y disputas.
En conclusión, un libro altamente recomendado para ver desde una perspectiva, tal vez global, la mundialización del siglo XVII.
El primer cuadro, un paisaje, nos cuenta mucho la historia de los Países Bajos, lo primero que uno se da cuenta es del cambio climático, la pequeña edad de hielo condicionó mucho el viejo continente; pestes, hambrunas y decenso demográfico, por otra parte, las bodegas de la VOC muestran el gran poderío colonial que tenían los neerlandeses en la competencia por el control de las indias orientales, finalmente, los barcos arqueros, muestra como los holandeses se enriquecieron bajo esta actividad tan lucrativa.
Un simple sombrero, nos permite explicar la dominación colonial francesas y neerlandeses en norte América, el deseo por buscar pieles de castor era importante, puesto que con esas se podía hacer fieltro necesario para los sombreros de la sociedad europea, además ello permitía financiar las campañas en busca de una ruta por Canadá hacia china, un lugar tan deseado por toda Europa.
Una porcelana china con fruta, con permite explicar cómo estás piezas eran tan deseadas en el antiguo continente, estos objetos exóticos eran valiosos para mostrar estatus, eran fáciles de limpiar, su popularidad fue tal, que se hacían réplicas en Holanda para las clases más bajas, la porcelana China era hecha según las necesidades de los comerciantes extranjeros.
Los mapas y el deseo de conocer más allá de lo conocido, llevo a muchos jóvenes a aventurarse, nuevas tierras a buscar nuevos territorios y asender socialmente, aunque mucho de estos terminaban en naufragio, mostrando también la relación que había entre el mundo chino y el europeo.
Un chino fumando tabaco, nos muestra cómo está práctica de origen americano se arraigo mucho en China, pese a que esta práctica trato de ser regulada por el gobierno, lo cierto es que era muy usada por el ejército como una forma de relajación, las mujeres de alto estatus fumaban, incluso tenían su propia pipa muy difente a la europea, había también manuales para un uso correcto del fumar.
La plata, extraída desde las Américas era muy importante para comprar cosas en China, su uso era muy importante en el país del dragón ya que era una moneda muy importante, este metal era lo único que podía ofrecer los europeos para dar a cambio de los productos orientales, era muy común en Europa pesar la plata puesto que muchas veces no era acuñada.
Un niño africano, siendo un sirviente nos cuenta mucho de las personas que fueron de un lugar a otro. La movilidad social en aquel siglo fue grande, ello claro, generando contactos y disputas.
En conclusión, un libro altamente recomendado para ver desde una perspectiva, tal vez global, la mundialización del siglo XVII.
August 1, 2025
Not a bad book by any means. It's well-written and erudite, if slightly dull. But it's also vastly misleading, since it's not about Vermeer at all but instead about trends in 17th-century Chinese politics, economics, and art. Vermeer himself is virtually a footnote. The author abandons any pretense about paying attention to him at all towards the middle of the book, when the chapters stop even being anchored by his paintings.
Overall, I experienced occasional stimulation or enjoyment reading this book, but to be honest I never found myself exactly looking forward to reading it. It might be best thought of as an academic source on 17th-century China.
Overall, I experienced occasional stimulation or enjoyment reading this book, but to be honest I never found myself exactly looking forward to reading it. It might be best thought of as an academic source on 17th-century China.
August 31, 2021
A good history of globalization in the 17th century with a particularly nuanced focus on the influence of commercial trade in China, so if that's what you are looking for, you're in luck. If you are hoping for a profound analysis of art or Vermeer himself, as I was, I would suggest you look somewhere else. Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World has very little to do with Vermeer, hats, or even Holland. 3 out of 5 stars for a misleading title and unfulfilled expectations.
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