Who Was Alive

Were René Descartes and Johannes Vermeer alive at the same time?

Yes. René Descartes and Johannes Vermeer were alive at the same time for 17 years, from 1632 to 1650.

René Descartes was 36 when Johannes Vermeer was born.

Johannes Vermeer was 17 when René Descartes died, aged 53.

René Descartes

French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist

Born 31 March 1596 · died 11 February 1650, aged 53

Johannes Vermeer

Dutch painter

Born October 1632 · died 1675, aged 42 or 43

  1. Miguel de Cervantes
  2. Galileo Galilei
  3. William Shakespeare
  4. René Descartes
  5. Molière
  6. John Locke
  7. Johannes Vermeer
  8. Isaac Newton
René Descartes and Johannes Vermeer in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.