The Procuress

Vermeer's The Procuress from 1656, in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden, is his earliest dated painting and marks the transition from his youthful biblical subjects to the genre scenes that would become his specialty. The subject of a young woman, a soldier, and a procuress in a brothel derives from the Utrecht Caravaggist tradition, particularly Dirck van Baburen's painting of the same subject that Vermeer owned and depicted in two later works. The smiling figure at the left may be a self-portrait of the young Vermeer.

The warm palette and bold chiaroscuro reflect the influence of the Utrecht Caravaggists, particularly Baburen and Ter Brugghen. Vermeer's technique, while broader than his later precision, already shows sensitivity to the effects of light on colored fabrics, particularly the famous yellow jacket.