Johannes Vermeer is one of the most revered artists of the Dutch Golden Age, yet he was relatively obscure for nearly two centuries after his death. He produced very few paintings—only about 34 to 37 are universally attributed to him today. Vermeer was a master of domestic interiors, often depicting women in quiet, contemplative moments, bathed in a soft, natural light coming from a window on the left. His use of the expensive pigment 'ultramarine' (made from lapis lazuli) even for minor details shows his commitment to quality over quantity. Some historians believe Vermeer used a 'camera obscura'—a pinhole device that projects an image onto a surface—to achieve his photographic-like precision and perfect perspective. This theory explains the 'circles of confusion' (soft-focus dots of light) found in works like 'The Milkmaid.'