PORTRAITS OF LEEUWENHOEK 353 
(4) By CoRNELIS DE MAN (1621-1706: born, worked, and 
died at Delft). According to Moes (1905; Vol. II, p.12) 
there is—or was—a portrait of Leeuwenhoek by this artist, 
dated 1681, in the “ Anatomie-Kamer te Delft.” When I 
visited the town in 1923 I was unfortunately unable to find it: 
and subsequent inquiries made through the late archivist 
(Mr Bouricius), and the late Prof. Beijerinck, have been 
equally fruitless. 
(5) By JAN VERMEER (1632-1675, of Delft). There is no 
authentic record of any portrait of Leeuwenhoek having ever 
been painted by this great master. Nevertheless, it has 
recently been stated by Lucas (1922, p.8) that Leeuwenhoek, 
“the inventor of the microscope,” was “ probably his model for 
the three or four scientific pictures”. (By “scientific pic- 
tures” Lucas means those paintings by Vermeer showing a 
“Geographer” or “ Astronomer” at work.) I have not seen 
the originals of any of these (nor had Lucas when he wrote), 
but I have studied good photographic reproductions of them 
all. ‘There are four, and they appear to me to portray as many 
different people. No two are alike, and none bears any 
recognizable likeness to Leeuwenhoek—as we know him from 
Verkolje’s authentic portraits. I am entirely at a loss to 
understand how anyone can seriously suggest that Vermeer’s 
‘“Geographers”’ and “ Astronomers” all represent the same 
person—and that person Leeuwenhoek. ‘The suggestion 
becomes still more perplexing when we find that Lucas (op. cit., 
p.20) also accepts as genuine the spurious “portrait” by 
Maes '—which in no way resembles any of the people depicted 
by Vermeer or Verkolje. 
I must call attention, however, to some curious points 
which came to my notice whilst seeking evidence (not given 
by him) for Lucas’s statements. The very fine painting by 
Vermeer known as “ The Geographer,” now in the Stddelsches 
Institut at Frankfort,’ shows a man poring over a map or 
chart, and with a pair of compasses in his right hand. Behind 
his head there is a globe, and some other maps are also in the 
1 See above, p. 351. 
* There is an excellent reproduction in colour in “Jan Vermeer of 
Delft’ (Portfolios of Great Masters), published by Halton & Truscott 
Smith, Ltd. London, 1925. 
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