ABSTRACT
One of Michael Montias’ most significant discoveries was that Johannes Vermeer had in all likelihood a major patron, Pieter Claesz. van Ruijven, who purchased about half of the artist’s entire output – twenty-one paintings, including the View of Delft, the Milkmaid, the Goldweigher, the Lacemaker, and the Girl Asleep at a Table. 1 Created to be seen together in a collector’s residence, Vermeer’s subtly varied genre scenes (mingled with city views) might be understood as an extended narrative set in familiar surroundings. Surprisingly, Montias’ finding met with resistance from Arthur Wheelock, who believed that the paintings may have been purchased later by relatives of Van Ruijven. Montias supported his theory through a careful analysis of the circumstances of the collector’s family, and most scholars have accepted Montias’ view. 2
