NZIFF: Close to Vermeer

This behind-the-scenes documentary follows the curators at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam as they put together the largest Vermeer exhibition ever attempted and discover what makes a Vermeer, truly a Vermeer.

The Rijksmuseum’s blockbuster Vermeer retrospective, which sold out all tickets within a few days of going on sale in February, and closed on 4 June, was one of the art world’s most revered events of 2023—or any year. This enthralling documentary explores the painstaking mounting of the exhibition, bringing together the Delft master’s limited number of works (34 in all), treasured in museums, both major and minor, around the world, in the “largest Vermeer exhibition ever”.

Negotiations are sometimes fraught. Backroom trade-offs are required. Deft diplomacy primordial.

Impassioned experts and connoisseurs share their wonder, drawing us close to details and nuance, debate brushstrokes and depiction of light—and whether certain hallowed Vermeer works are in fact the real deal, leading to fiery discussions. Always central to everything are the sublime paintings themselves and what they reveal about Vermeer, about whom little is known but speculation is rife.