TheOldMastersPrintsView of Delft by Johannes Vermeer: meaning, location and key facts
View of Delft is an oil on canvas by Johannes Vermeer, painted between about 1660 and 1661. It measures 96.5 × 115.7 cm and is held at the Mauritshuis, The Hague.
Key facts
| Artist | Johannes Vermeer |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1660–1661 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 96.5 × 115.7 cm (height × width) |
| Museum | Mauritshuis, The Hague |
| Style | Dutch Golden Age |
| Data source | Wikidata (Q523974) · Wikipedia |
What it shows
Delft seen from the south, across the harbour on the river Schie, with the Schiedam and Rotterdam gates, the rooftops and the sunlit tower of the New Church. In the foreground, a few figures on the bank and moored barges.
More than half of the canvas is sky, with clouds casting shadow over the town. Vermeer used thick texture and small touches of light for the brickwork and the water, giving the feeling of a quiet, damp morning.
Did you know?
- Marcel Proust called it “the most beautiful painting in the world”, and in his novel The Captive the writer Bergotte dies in front of its “little patch of yellow wall”.
- The Dutch state bought it in 1822 for the Mauritshuis.
- It is one of only two known townscapes by Vermeer; the other is The Little Street, in the Rijksmuseum.
Where to see the original
View of Delft is at the Mauritshuis, The Hague. Works are sometimes lent to exhibitions or taken down for restoration, so it is worth checking the museum’s website before you go.
Which print size to choose
The print keeps the proportions of the original: if they differ from the paper, the painting is centred with a white border and never cropped. More details in our size guide.
| A4 (21 × 29.7 cm) | shelves, desks and gallery walls |
|---|---|
| A3 (29.7 × 42 cm) | bedrooms, hallways and small walls |
| A2 (42 × 59.4 cm) | above a sideboard, chest of drawers or headboard |
Prints are made to order in the Czech Republic and reach the EU in 3 to 8 days, with no customs. Canvases are made in the USA and take about 2 to 3 weeks, with EU VAT included in the price.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is View of Delft?
- The original is held at the Mauritshuis, The Hague.
- How big is View of Delft?
- The original painting measures 96.5 × 115.7 cm (height × width).
- Who painted View of Delft and when?
- It was painted by Johannes Vermeer between about 1660 and 1661.
- Can I hang a reproduction of View of Delft at home?
- Yes. The work is in the public domain, so it can be freely reproduced. We offer it as a matte print in A4, A3, A2 (from €18.99) and as a ready-to-hang canvas (from €54.99), with free shipping to the EU.
Updated 21 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Message us through the shop and we will fix it.
