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In 1672 a ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; severe economic ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; downturn (the "Year of Disaster") struck ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; the ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; Netherlands,; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; after Louis XIV and a French army invaded the Dutch Republic from the south (known as the Franco-Dutch War). During the Third Anglo-Dutch War ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; an English ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; fleet and two allied German bishops attacked the country from the east causing ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; more ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; destruction. Many ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; people panicked; courts, theaters, shops and; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; schools were ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; closed. Five years passed http://www.crimeajewel.com ; before circumstances ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; improved. In the Summer of 1675 Vermeer; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; borrowed; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; money in ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; Amsterdam,; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; using his; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; mother-in-law as ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; a surety.

In December 1675; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; Vermeer ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; fell into; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; a frenzy and ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; suddenly died, within ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; a day ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; and a; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; half.; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; Catharina Bolnes; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; attributed her husband's death to the stress of financial pressures. The ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; collapse of; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; the art; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; market damaged Vermeer's business; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; as both a; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; painter and an; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; art dealer. She, having to raise 11 ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; children, asked; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; the High ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; Court; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; to allow her; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; a break in ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; paying ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; the creditors.[Montias 2] The Dutch; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; microscopist; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, who worked for the city council as a surveyor, was appointed trustee. The house, with eight rooms on the first floor, was filled with paintings, drawings, http://www.crimeajewel.com ; clothes, http://www.crimeajewel.com ; chairs and beds. In his atelier there were http://www.crimeajewel.com ; rummage not worthy being itemized, two chairs, two painter's easels, three palettes, ten canvases, a desk, an http://www.crimeajewel.com ; oak pull table and a small wooden cupboard with drawers.[Montias 3] Nineteen of Vermeer's paintings were bequeathed to Catharina and her mother, and the widow ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; sold two other; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; paintings to the Hendrick van Buyten in order to pay off; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; quite a debt.

Vermeer had been ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; a respected ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; artist in Delft, but he was; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; almost unknown ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; outside his home town. The; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; fact that a local ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; patron, Pieter van Ruijven, purchased much of his output reduced the possibility of; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; lmhis fame; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; spreading.; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; Vermeer never; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; had any pupils; ghis; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; relatively short life, the demands of separate careers, and his extraordinary precision as; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; a painter all; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; h help ; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; to explain; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; f his; http://www.crimeajewel.com ; limited ; http://www.crimeajewel.com