Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did Johannes Vermeer die?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Johannes Vermeer
Girl with a Pearl Earring, oil on canvas by Johannes Vermeer, c. 1665; in the Mauritshuis, The Hague.
Johannes Vermeer died suddenly in 1675, three years after the invasion of Holland by France in 1672 caused a severe economic downturn that left him heavily in debt. While the exact cause of his death is not definitively known, it is believed he may have succumbed to a short illness. His wife attributed his declining health to the immense stress caused by his financial difficulties, as he left behind his wife and 11 children in poverty.12