Tim’s Vermeer

Overview

Watching a man painstakingly recreate an oil painting doesn't exactly sound like the basis for a winning documentary. Yet in the hands of popular TV double act Penn and Teller, that's exactly what it turns out to be. Told in clear, accessible terms that laymen can understand, Tim's Vermeer is a lively, intriguing look at the line between artist and inventor, one that challenges the very notion that the distinction should be made at all.

Johannes Vermeer was a 17th-century Dutch artist, best known these days for Girl with a Pearl Earring. His paintings have been lauded for their photorealistic look. Various theories exist as to how he was able to achieve such detail, one of which suggests that he made use of optical aids — mirrors, curved lens and so on. One subscriber to this theory is San Antonian inventor Tim Jenison. Despite having no artistic training, Jenison believes that by following what he thinks were the Dutchman's methods, he'll be able to produce similar results.

An unassuming project about an unassuming man, this film is an ode to quiet determination. Jenison pours years into his hobby, teaching himself the skills to build a life-size replica of Vermeer's studio, and even finagling a private viewing in Buckingham Palace of the piece he wishes to recreate. His painting technique, which involves matching colour to an image reflected in an elevated mirror, is rather difficult to do justice in writing. Rest assured though that it's fascinating to behold.

Penn provides the narration — his verbosity and humour helping viewers follow the science behind the art. Teller, meanwhile, does solid work in the director's chair, keeping the movie moving at a reasonably rapid pace. If the film has an issue, it's that it leaves little room for viewpoints other than its own. Apparently the optics theory is quite controversial in the art world, but everyone in the movie dismisses the sceptics out of hand.

Then again, it's rather hard not to be convinced by Jenison's hypothesis, particularly when you see what he's able to put on the canvas. Whether or not his was the same technique that Vermeer used, the final product is certainly remarkable. At the end of the day, that may be more important. This film doesn't work because you care about Vermeer. It works because you care about Tim.