Beyond the method and technique, Janson clearly pays additional homage to Vermeer with sly references like the earring on the girl in this image the pale yellow of her sweatshirt, and the rich fabric of the table-top. But the presence of a radio, a laptop and even the compositional device of a rather dark background mark the painting as someone else’s.

It’s not so uncommon to come across someone who has studied and imitated an old master. Sadly, many who plumb the depths of an old master’s technique often seem to wish that they are actually living back then and their paintings are no more than competent copies of long ago masterpieces. What makes Janson unusual is that the depth of his study — as impressive as it is — remains harnessed in the service of his own development as an artist, someone very much of the here and now.

On the shoulders of giants…