Brook once crashed his bike while cycling in Delft, a city in the Netherlands. A woman took him in after seeing him in the rain, sheltering him and allowing him to sleep, bathe, and eat at her place. This led the narrator to investigate Delft, which is best known as the birthplace of famed artist Johannes Vermeer, and the scene of his paintings. As Brook dove into these paintings’ global reach, he was surprised that there were no Vermeer paintings on display in Delft. The closest place to see a Vermeer is at The Hague, a Netherlands city 10 miles away.

Brook could have used many other cities as the starting place for his discussion about Vermeer’s global reach. One such city is Shanghai. 17th-century Shanghai and Delft shared many things in common: Both experienced plague, class disparities, and economic growth. Brook will link the two cities throughout the narrative.

Brook argues that Vermeer is an illusionist. Vermeer’s paintings show viewers not factual slices of life, like a photo, but carefully curated images. Five of Vermeer’s paintings illustrate this fluidity; they also offer clues about 17th-century living that are no longer readily visible or readable to observers.