Uncovering Vermeer

Jan Vermeer is one of the great enigmas of the art world, and the dearth of real information about his life has only increased the popularity of his work in recent years. A new documentary attempts to tie together the scraps of biographical interest which have been unearthed over the years, and creates a more complete portrait of the Dutch master than any seen before. And while Vermeer’s work tends to reflect quiet contentment, the filmmaker “argues that the artist imagined on canvas a vision of tranquility which eluded him in life.”