The Geographer is strikingly different from Vermeer’s other work, in that the subject seems rapt in his thoughts, as opposed to models who are aware of the viewer’s gaze. Moreover, the sense of intimacy that is a hallmark of Vermeer’s other paintings is absent, perhaps indicating that this painting was a commission. Brook proposes that the subject is Delft polymath Antoine van Leeuwenhoek due to the possible connections between Vermeer and Leeuwenhoek and the fact that Leeuwenhoek was an avid collector.

Brook focuses his attention on a globe in the painting. Made in 1618 by Hendrick Hondius, this globe updated the one created by his father Jodocus in 1600. Major advances in global travel, such as the additional route to Southeast Asia a Dutch navigator found in 1610, provided additional accuracy. The cartouche, or decorate emblem, on the globe exemplifies this newfound knowledge and the need for more: In it, the globemaker implores people to send information to ensure precision for future versions.

To highlight the need for navigational exactitude, Brook relates the story of a Portuguese vessel that wrecked in southern China in February 1625. The ship was a microcosm of diversity; aboard were people of Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, South Asian Muslim, Goan, Black, and Moorish descent.