Balthasar de Monconys

Balthasar de Monconys (1611 - 1665) was a French diplomat, physician and a magistrate.

Moncony, brought up in Lyon by the Jesuits and a good Catholic, had an interest in the Jesuit missions in infidel territory. He travelled to Portugal, England, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Moncony paid twice a visit to Delft and so could satisfy his curiosity about another hidden church and meet an artist with a growing reputation. [J.M. Montias (1989) Vermeer and his milieu, p. 181.] He was the only person, besides Pieter Teding van Berckhout, who met with Vermeer on August 11, 1663, and wrote down an eyewitness account of Vermeer's paintings, during Vermeer's liftime. ["Eyewitness written accounts of Vermeer's painting." 2007."Essential vermeer". June 7 2007. [http://essentialvermeer.20m.com/] ] Vermeer had no paintings to show and Moncony and his companions were steered to the baker Hendrick van Buyten.

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