Early digital photographers: Johannes Vermeer and The Milkmaid

The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer is one of the most widely admired photographs from the 17th century. We know this image only from a >350 year old hard copy. There is no raw file or jpg, nor is there any EXIF data, so we have no definitive record of camera, focal length, ISO, or exposure. The only scholarly mentions of camera equipment Vermeer might have used refer to a "camera obscura", a clear admission of ignorance. NONETHELESS, by careful examination of the image, we can make some tentative inferences about the practices of Vermeer the photographer, and the state of digital imaging technology in the Netherlands circa 1658.

Coarse grain: One of the widely noted features of the Milkmaid is the relatively coarse grain visible in the print. This could be the result of an older digital sensor with lower resolution, or possibly the printer used. Arguing against this is the fact that the Milkmaid is from Vermeer's mature period, and his other images show a finer grain and smoother texture in the details. Surely Vermeer, one of the leading photographers of his day, would have been using state-of-the-art equipment. Another explanation can be deduced from the fact that all objects within the frame are within critical focus, implying a small aperture for the exposure. Also, the stream of milk from the pitcher shows no motion blur, implying a fast shutter speed. The only way to get a correct exposure with a small aperture and fast shutter (in a poorly-illuminated room!) is to use a high ISO. So the coarseness and graininess of the image may be due to noise from a high ISO capture. Dutch digital image sensors from the mid 17th century presumably did not have the dynamic range of sensors from >350 years later. Based on other images from this photographer, which show a well-developed ability to minimize noise and grain, we can only conclude that Vermeer's choices for this image were the result of artistic intent.

Digital sharpening artifacts: In several areas there are signs of digital sharpening artifacts. The notorious halos from aggressive sharpening with an overly large radius can easily be seen at the boundary between the wall and the milkmaid's back. AI-based sharpening algorithms had yet to be invented, so Vermeer had to make do with the relatively primitive sharpening available at the time.

Printing technology: Except for some cracking visible in the close views, the print we have in hand has held up well over 350+ years. Clearly modern printers, while capable of higher resolution, have little over mid-17th century Dutch technology in terms of archival quality.

Some scholars have asserted that Vermeer produced his images by painting (!). This may be a confusion with the name of a commonly used image-editing program of the time, Mikrozof Paante. Moreover, painters generally produce preliminary sketches and underpainting and the like, leaving behind a large body of material from which their working methods can be inferred. No such materials have been found for Vermeer. The weight of evidence, then, is against Vermeer having "cheated" by applying paint, so we may safely leave aside these attempts to besmirch the reputation of one of the grand old masters of digital photography.