Vermeer only painted about 35 paintings during his lifetime and focussed on a very narrow range of subject matter and composition. There seem to have been no drawings or preparatory sketches. Many other contemporary painters treated similar or relaed subjects. Most of them painted many, many more paintings in order to satisfy a demanding market. If they painted similar subjects (genre scenes of women in the home) they also painted a wide range of other scenes.
Here I have provided examples of some of the paintings by contemporaries of Vermeer most closesly related to his treatment of women in interiors. These are the 'other' women writing letters and women playing music, women women pouring from a jug and women holding a balance. In what follows you will come across paintings by [in order of birth date] Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), Ludolf de Jongh (1616-1697), Gerard Ter Borch (1617-1681), Jan Steen (1626-1679), Pieter de Hooch (1629-1684), Gabriël Metsu (1629–1667) Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), Nicolaes Maes (1632-1693), Gesina Ter Borch (1633–1690), Jacob Ochtervelt (1634–1682), Frans van Mieris, the elder (1635–1681), Caspar Netscher (1639-1684).
At the bottom of this page there are buttons which will display a Google search of [large] images from each of the painters listed.
Gesina Ter Borch (1633–1690) is depicted in many of the paintings of her half-brother, Gerard but she was a very accomplished artist, too. Working mainly in watercolours, her output was prolific. After the death of her younger brother a note of deep sadness appears in some of her work. As well as depicting life at home she illustrated poems that she collected, including poems of love. When she was about 27 she was courted by a young poet but never married. There is a dark and mischievous side to many of her more imaginative images.
You have been looking at work by: Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), Ludolf de Jongh (1616-1697), Gerard Ter Borch (1617-1681), Jan Steen (1626-1679), Pieter de Hooch (1629-1684), Gabriël Metsu (1629–1667) Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), Nicolaes Maes (1632-1693), Gesina Ter Borch (1633–1690), Jacob Ochtervelt (1634–1682), Frans van Mieris, the elder (1635–1681), Caspar Netscher (1639-1684).
Most of these painters painted many, many more paintings that did Vermeer. Vermeer's 35 or so paintings are an exception in that, as in so many ways. Each of these painted women in their homes in domestic scenes which were also destined be hung in interiors much like the ones depicted. For each of these painters there is a relevant overlap with the subject matter or compositions of Vermeer. But most of these painters painted a far greater range of subject matter.
You can learn more about that by using the links to Wikipedia I have provided but also by typing in a painter's name into Google search and then clicking on "images". OR just click on any of the buttons below...
Credits:
Images taken from the internet under fair use, not for profit, educational use only