In the spring of 2023, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam opened its doors to “the show of the century”: the largest Vermeer exhibition in history. The show sold out within days of going on sale … but you can see the highlights on the big screen, in David Bickerstaff’s new documentary. With privileged footage of the works, loaned from across the world, we meet the mysterious master, whose 40 years of paintings remain unrivaled in skill and expression. Who was this master of paint, living in Delft in the Netherlands between 1632 and 1675? (U.K., 2023, 90m)
“If I could, I’d choose to stand in front of the originals. But when the alternative is this illuminating, considered and, crucially, crowd-free, I’m not complaining … Vermeer’s world is meditative, deliberative, still; this film is too”.—The Times
