Vermeer's Delft: The Flying Fox

Before he called himself Vermeer, Vermeer's father, Reynier Jansz. ^{See: "Reynier Jansz. Vos, alias Vermeer,"John Michael Montias, Vermeer and His Milieu: A Web of Social History (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1989), 55-84.} (c. 1591–1652)  took the name Vos, which means fox in Dutch. Everyone in Holland knew of Vanden vos Reynaerde (fig. 1) ^{Reynard the Fox, a cunning and sly anthropomorphic character, is at the center of medieval European folklore and literature, originating in the 12th century in regions such as France and the Low Countries. These tales fall within the genre of "beast epic," featuring animals with human-like qualities and morals. Reynard is known for his cleverness and use of deception to outwit adversaries, often facing challenges from other animals, humans, and authority figures. These narratives convey moral lessons and satirical commentary on society while exploring themes of trickery, justice, and consequences. Adapted and retold across Europe, Reynard's enduring legacy has left an indelible mark on European literature and culture.} (The Romance of Reynard the Fox), which became famous in Holland under the title Reynaerd de Vos. Vos was a natural last name to choose for a man christened Reynier. Not surprisingly, there were many people besides Vermeer's father who called themselves Reynier Vos or De Vos in Delft.The name Reynier became confused in people minds with Reynaerd, and the combination Reynier Jansz. Vos might have developed naturally from it. Together with his new name, Vos, Reynier Jansz. acquired a new profession; from 1625 to 1629 he worked as an innkeeper, while continuing to weave caffa^{Caffa, also known as "qáffa," was a type of fabric or silk cloth that was popular during the 17th century. It was particularly associated with the Safavid Empire, which ruled over Persia (modern-day Iran) and was known for its production of high-quality textiles. Caffa silk was renowned for its fine quality and intricate designs. It was often used in the creation of luxurious garments, especially for the elite and nobility of the time. The fabric was highly prized for its softness, sheen, and the elaborate patterns that were woven into it.} as a sideline. In the thirties, he rented an inn, The Flying Fox (De Vliegende Vos), that bore the sign of a flying fox, deserting the old quarter by the Beestenmarkt (Cattle Market) for the Voldersgracht, a street that ran behind the houses on the north side of the great Markt. It was in this rather more distinguished part of town that Vermeer was born, in October 1632, twelve years after his sister, Gertruy." ^{John Michael Montias, "Chronicle of a Delft Family," in Vermeer, edited by Albert Blankert, Gilles Aillaud, and John Michael Montias, (Woodstock and New York: Overlook Duckworth, 2007), 26.}

As Vermeer's cheif biographer, John Michael Montias, points our, "What is not clear is whether he hung a signboard with an image of a flying fox in front of the inn to announce to the world that he, Vos, was the new boss, or whether he took to calling himself Vos only after he started leasing the inn that was already known by that name. The second alternative would imply that he was already established in the inn as early as January 1615, when he first called himself Vos. This is unlikely because he was still living on the Beestenmarkt when he repaid a debt for brandy in September 1616."^{John Michael Montias, Vermeer and His Milieu: A Web of Social History (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1989), 61.}

Together with his new name, Reynier Jansz. acquired a new profession; from 1625 to 1629, he worked as an innkeeper.

"The Flying Fox was several doors away from the Old Men's House, an almshouse whose former chapel, afterward a tanning workshop, some thirty years later was to be converted into the new hall of the St. Luke's Guild. The present-day location is Voldersgracht on or near no. 25 or 26.

Like many of his contemporaries, Vermeer's father hung many pictures on his establishment's walls. But possibly the pictures were all the more influential for him because the Flying Fox attracted many artists who came to drink, eat, or talk shop there with his father. In early 1641, however, the lease on the Flying Fox ran out, and Reynier Vermeer bought the bigger inn Mechelen, less than a hundred yards away on the Markt. Johannes was nine and a half when they moved."^{Anthony Bailey, Vermeer: A View of Delft (New York: Holt Paperbacks, 2002), 47.}

According to the municipal information panel outside on Voldersgracht canal, Vermeer was born on the premises of Voldersgracht 26. However, independent Dutch art historian, Kees Kaldenbach, in recent research has conjectured that Vermeer was born at Voldersgracht number 25 and not at number 26.

"In October 1631, about a year before the birth of his son Johannes, Reynier Jansz registered with the Guild of Saint Luke as a dealer in works of art (konstverkoper) (document of October, 13, 1631). Presumably, this business was carried on in conjunction with the running of his inn, which provided a natural meeting place for artists and collectors. Reynier was in an ideal position to act as a middleman between the painters and their clients; he bought pictures speculatively and displayed them on the walls in the hope of making a sale at some future date.The young Vermeer must have grown up among paintings and artists who no doubt came to eat, drink, and talk shop there with his father."^{John Michael Montias, "Chronicle of a Delft Family," in Vermeer, edited by Albert Blankert, Gilles Aillaud, and John Michael Montias, (Woodstock and New York: Overlook Duckworth, 2007), 27.}

"In Delft and its vicinity, there were painters enough and Reynier knew many of them. Among the many artists who must have frequented The Flying Fox, a few are documented. There was Anthony Palamedesz. (1602–1673), for example, a leading portrait and still life painter, in genre notably of Galant Companies (fig. 2), who in 1640 had taught painting and drawing to the son of the ebony importer Gillis Verboom (1628-c.1670); Verboom used to eat and drink at the Flying Fox. There was the flower painter Jan Baptista van Fornenburgh (1585–1650), from The Hague, who had come to Delft a few years before to call at the offices of the VOC (East Indies Company) and ask about the back-pay owed his now-dead son. The witnesses to a deposition and receipt^{The purpose of the depositions of 1640 was to legitimize the father's claim, to his deceased son's assets.} on that occasion were the painters Pieter Groenewegen (1590/1600–1658), Balthasar van der Ast (1593/94–1657), and Pieter van Steenwijck—and the innkeeper and art-dealer Reynier Vermeer.^{Anthony Bailey, Vermeer: A View of Delft (New York: Holt Paperbacks, 2002), 50.}

In 1641, when Vermeer was about nine years old, his father's business undertakings must have grown considerably since he left the Flying Fox for the much larger Mechelen.