Beauty, Love and Zen

[Peter Jochems]

Vermeer did not paint much... Leonardo even less...

Tim, I thought the semi-nude painting on your site (gypsy) was inspired in the use of colour by Vermeer. The clothing of the milk-maid is also red, yellow and blue.

Peter

[Timothy C. Tyler]

Peter, any associations implied, accidental, inspirations etc with Vermeer I would never deny. I am, along with millions of others, a fan. If we are all honest many paintings find a place in our hearts and hold an influence upon us, sometimes for a lifetime. I'm delighted with that, personally.

[Peter Jochems]

Vermeer has always been my favourite painter. Every time I visit Amsterdam, I step out of the train in Delft on the way back and walk past where he lived and worked. Delft still has the atmosphere one sees in his paintings.

... and they have some great shoarma there too!

Peter

[Michele Rushworth]

Peter, can you tell us what "shoarma" is?

[Peter Jochems]

Shoarma is an Egyptian recipe that we eat here in the Netherlands. When you order it someone cut's it from a big piece of meat, and prepares it. In Delft there is this
little restaurant 'Pyramids of Gold' (five minutes walking from where Vermeer used to live). (If one goes there there is a painting on the wall with the restaurant
painted on it, and for some reason the composition reminds me of the little street by Vermeer, very strange). We used to eat this often in the middle of the night,
coming back from where we used to go out. These places are often open till 3 or 4 o'clock in the night. I heard a lot of things from my friends above a plate of
'Shoarma'. - If Vermeer had lived today he would definately have eaten this... And he would have gone to the McDonalds, which is also in Delft (like everywhere).