Vermeer. Close to the master

The protagonist of this fascinating documentary is a man who could create a universe in a corner of a room and how no one knew how to capture and immortalize fleeting, intimate moments - Johannes Vermeer, one of the greatest painters in history. As promised in the title, “Close to the Master” removes famous works from the walls, removes them from the frames and takes them to the laboratory to show us the stunning details - for example, “Girls with a Pearl” - and reveal the layers hidden under the paint. The creators also allow us to look behind the scenes of the most famous exhibition of the year, where the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam collected most of the existing 35 paintings of the brilliant Dutchman.

Filmed with a truly detective passion, the film allows you to rediscover the master. It is the story of a creator who left behind more mysteries than works, with complicated fates scattered throughout the greatest museums of the world of paintings, but above all an attempt to understand what makes Vermeer Vermeer. The way he painted the shadow, or maybe the light of day? The one-of-a-kind shutters red or the surprising green he used to paint his leather? Is it about the workshop or the threads he undertook? About this universe in a year of peace? And above all: is every Vermeer a Vermeer? “Close to the Master” takes up an exciting thread of expert investigations and disputes over the authenticity of certain paintings.

Suzanne Raes's documentary is also an intriguing collective portrait of museologists, curators, conservators, collectors, art dealers — experts and enthusiasts. Vermeer. Close to the master, he also talks about those who connected their lives with the artist, wishing to be as close as possible to his works, genius and mystery, which, despite the most advanced research, remains both his history and painting.