Recipe for a Blazing Valentine’s Day!

You probably recognize this: the Valentine’s sparks have faded, your fiery love letters lie yellowed in an old chest (if you ever wrote them at all), and romantic dinners are merely glimmers of the past.
It is high time to change course and to unveil yourself as an art lover! An art lover..? Absolutely! Here is the recipe:

Surprise your Valentine with a visit to Voldersgracht 21 in Delft and reveal yourself as a true connaisseur of Vermeer.

As you tread the ground of the former Saint Luke’s Guild (mix of professional association and Chamber of Commerce in the 17th century), quote Proust (you know, French intellectual and novelist around 1900), who used the words Le plus beau tableau du monde to describe ‘View of Delft’ (Vermeer’s masterpiece, displayed at the Mauritshuis in The Hague) as the most beautiful painting in the world (quote from 1921, sure to impress).

Next, head to the exhibition ‘Love messages in Vermeer’s paintings’ on the second floor and introduce your beloved to 17th-century love symbolism (hidden references in Vermeer’s paintings, often with a moral message). The exhibition explores romantic love, seductive love, paid love and unattainable love (make sure you stay one step ahead of your lover by scanning the next information board in advance, so you can casually announce the next topic).

Finally, descend into the basement to wander along Vermeer’s 37 tranquil creations (he is renowned for the serene stillness in his paintings) and to cast your own light on his oeuvre (his compete body of work), but let your lover do most of the talking (nod and hum in agreement for extra effect).

So, if you truly want to enchant your Valentine this year, skip the predictable box of chocolates or bouquet of red roses, but choose art as a means of seduction!

Vermeer Centrum Delft is open seven days a week from 10:00 to 17:00.

If you are visiting Vermeer Centrum Delft on Valentine’s Day, each couple will receive a free Valentine’s ticket for the exhibitions. If you are visiting solo and embracing the Valentine within yourself, you will enjoy entry at half price!