Technically The Guitar Player is a masterpiece.

It was painted towards the end of Vermeer’s career when he was starting to throw the middle finger and tell the art world of the 17^th century that he’s going to do what he wants.

Vermeer creates a small space for the subject and cuts off her elbow, making the space feel intimate, which it would have been in the 17^th century. Music was the 17^th century language of romance, it was a comfort, and it was a form of meditation that brought people together. It was classy, it showed talent (but not too much talent, you don’t want to be too fancy), and it was a way to keep women entertained since instruments were considered toys for adult women.

A month after Vermeer died, this painting was used to pay off his debt to the local master baker and from there it went to Kenwood House museum and that’s when things get really interesting.

In 1974, Kenwood House was broken into and the thieves went straight for the Vermeer. Scotland Yard was at a loss, but a young woman from a gypsy family had a lead. Nella Jones had a vision while watching a news story about the stolen works. In the vision, she saw the painting hidden in a graveyard behind Kenwood House. The police weren’t totally sold on their psychic informant, but she was the only lead that they had, so they took her and followed up on her story.

All that they turned up was the broken alarm box from the back of the painting’s frame. Nella said that the painting was in the catacombs under the graveyard, but neither the bobbies nor Nella were eager to dig around in a bunch of bodies. Though they didn’t find the painting that night, Scotland Yard did end up getting an anonymous tip that told them the painting was in a graveyard and, sure enough, when they showed up it was there waiting for them!

So a psychic helped solve the case! Who saw that coming?