Complete the lead-in text using the words and phrases given. Explain the words in bold.

obscurity portraying renown historical critic suffused painstakingly elusive

Among the great Dutch artists of the 17^th century, he is now second in __________ only to Rembrandt, but he made little mark during his lifetime and then long languished in ____________. Jan Vermeer excelled in _____________ comfortable interior scenes that are composed with mathematical clarity and ______________ with cool, silver light.

There is a hole at the centre of all biographies of Johannes Vermeer, where the man himself should be. Although his pictures continued to be greatly valued through the 18th and early 19th centuries, Vermeer was then almost lost as a _____________ personage, until his oeuvre was_______________ put back together in the 1860s by a French _____________, Theophile Thore. Even so, the painter's personality and life-story remained ___________, which may be why Thore christened him "the Sphinx of Delft".

Among the great Dutch artist of the 17^th century, he is now second in renown only to Rembrandt, but he made little mark during his lifetime and then long languished in obscurity. Jan Vermeer excelled in portraying comfortable interior scenes that are composed with mathematical clarity and suffused with cool, silver light.

There is a hole at the centre of all biographies of Johannes Vermeer, where the man himself should be. Although his pictures continued to be greatly valued through the 18th and early 19th centuries, Vermeer was then almost lost as a historical personage, until his oeuvre was painstakingly put back together in the 1860s by a French critic, Theophile Thore. Even so, the painter's personality and life-story remained elusive, which may be why Thore christened him "the Sphinx of Delft".

( oeuvre - the total output of a writer, painter, etc совокупность произведений (писателя, художника, композитора), труды, творческое наследие

painstaking - кропотливый, тщательный, старательный, extremely careful, esp as to fine detailж to languish - to lose or diminish in strength or energy; ослабевать; to suffuse (usually passive) to spread or flood through or over (something, a sphinx - any of a number of huge stone statues built by the ancient Egyptians, having the body of a lion and the head of a man)

2 Look through the NOTES and watch the Episode “The World of Vermeer, Part 1”. (Мультимедийный каталог 1556 →Unit 9)

Delft, the city Vermeer lived in

Proust, the novelist

Reynier, Vermeer’s father

Delft Charity Chamber, the local social services

Neeltge Goris, Vermeer’s paternal grandmother

Balthasar, Vermeer’s maternal grandfather

Catherina Bolnes, his wife

Schipluyde, the little village outside Delft

Maria Tins, Vermeer’s mother-in-law

Van Der Dussen, the patrician

Ryenier Bolnes, a wealthy brick maker, Vermeer’s father-in-law

Tanneke Everpoel, the kitchen maid

Wilhelm, Maria Tins’s unruly son

Hermanus Taerling, manager in a private house of correction

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