Brook relates how he crashed his bike while cycling in Delft. A woman takes him in after seeing him in the rain, not only sheltering him, but allowing him to sleep, bathe, and eat at her place. Leaving a mark on him, these memories, combined with Delft being Vermeer’s birthplace and the scene of his paintings, lead the narrator to investigate Vermeer’s paintings and their global reach. Interestingly, Brook notes that, though Vermeer lived and died in Delft, and his paintings are of the city, there are no Vermeer paintings on display in Delft. The closest place to see a Vermeer is at The Hague.

Brook mentions that many other cities probably could have been used as the starting place for his argument on global inroads in Vermeer’s paintings. One such city is Shanghai. He describes the similarities and differences between seventeenth-century Shanghai and Delft, including their experiences with plague, class, trade, and economic growth in relation to each country’s economy. He then goes on to explain how the two cities will be linked throughout the narrative.

Brook makes the interesting argument that Vermeer is an illusionist. Vermeer’s paintings show viewers a slice of life, not as a static image, like a photo, but as a carefully curated image made up of what he wants the viewer to see.