Johannes Vermeer lived in Delft during the mid 1600s. He was a master of capturing soft diffused natural light, through his signature painting technique of layering thin glazes of oil. Today, Vermeer is one of the most celebrated masters of the Dutch Golden Age, best known for his serene interior scenes and portraits such as Girl With a Pearl Earring. He produced relatively few paintings over the course of his career, with only 34 remaining.