354 LEEUWENHOEK AND HIS ‘“‘ LITTLE ANIMALS” 
picture—a couple loose on the floor, one framed on the wall. 
This is one of the few of Vermeer’s pictures which is signed 
and dated. The date, painted on the wall behind, is 
MDCLXVIIII (z.e., 1669—not 1668, as stated by more than 
one writer on Vermeer). Now this is the very year in which 
Leeuwenhoek was appointed surveyor." Moreover, the globe 
in the picture is apparently a celestial (not terrestrial) globe, 
and is very like that shown in both of Verkolje’s portraits. 
Leeuwenhoek must surely have possessed a similar one. In 
Verkolje’s oil-painting, furthermore, Leeuwenhoek is shown 
holding a pair of compasses in his right hand *—just like 
Vermeer’s “Geographer”. The framed map on the wall has 
only an artistic import: it has no “ scientific” significance, 
being simply a decoration—introduced into many of Vermeer’s 
other pictures which have no connexion with geography. 
There is no authority for calling this picture “The 
Geographer ’”’—a modern label. Suppose we call it “The 
Surveyor”? This title seems equally appropriate; and we 
might then suppose that Vermeer was inspired to paint it by 
seeing Leeuwenhoek at work on ground-plans and surveys in 
preparation for his qualifying examination in 1669! But all 
this is mere guesswork, though the coincidences Just noted are 
curious—if nothing more. “The Geographer” himself is not 
much like Leeuwenhoek; and there is no evidence, as I have 
already remarked, that Vermeer ever painted his portrait. 
(6) By JAN GOEREE (1670-1731: designer, engraver, and 
poet. Known also as Gouré).—In the engraved title-page of 
Leeuwenhoek’s last published letters (Send-brieven and Epist. 
Physiol.) there is inset a little oval portrait circumscribed 
“ANTONIVS LEEUWENHOEKIVS DELPHIS NATVS 
MDCXXXII”’. It is supported by a fat female angel blowing 
a trumpet, and somewhat overclouded by other allegorical 
accessories. The first state of this plate (in the Dutch 
edition) is lettered at foot “Te DELFT by ADRIAAN 
BEMAN, 1718.” and in the left bottom corner “J. Goeree 
sculpt: Direa.” The second state (Latin edition) bears the 
words “DELPHIS apud ADRIANUM BEMAN, 1719.” 
—with the same signature. 
1 Cf. p. 34 supra. 
* See Plate XI, facing p. 49. 
