Vermeer's Tiny Masterpiece: Why La Dentellière Stops Everyone in Their Tracks
By Hafid Assaoui · 2026-03-19
At just 24 by 21 centimetres, Vermeer's The Lacemaker is one of the smallest paintings in the Louvre — and one of the most technically astonishing. Our guide explains why.
It is smaller than an A4 sheet of paper. 24 centimetres tall, 21 centimetres wide. La Dentellière — The Lacemaker — sits in Room 837 of the Louvre's Richelieu wing, in a glass case with no special dramatic lighting, no velvet rope. Most visitors pass through this room without pausing. Those who stop in front of Vermeer rarely straighten up quickly. What makes it extraordinary Johannes Vermeer painted this around 1670, near the end of his shor…