Carel Fabritius (1622-1654) is maybe the most underrated artist of the Dutch golden era of painting. A student of Rembrandt, he was a pioneer in the way he used shading and perspective. He died at the age of 32 when a major blast at a gunpowder storage house in Delft, his hometown, destroyed a large part of the city. The blast destroyed also his atelier where he stored his works. As a result, only few of his paintings survive today. From those we can conclude that he was a big influence for Vermeer, if not his teacher. The connection between the two artists is also mentioned in the following dedication that was spoken at Carel's funeral:
"The phoenix has departed from this world
In the midst of life and fame
A new master has arisen from the ashes
Vermeer will follow in his steps."
In the midst of life and fame
A new master has arisen from the ashes
Vermeer will follow in his steps."
Here follow a few of his surviving works:
The Goldfinch
Self-Portrait
Saskia van Uylenburgh (Rembrandt's Wife)
A View of Delft
