Tim’s Vermeer recently played in Santa Barbara at the film festival. It’s a documentary about Tim Jenison, a Texas optics engineer who long wondered how Vermeer managed to achieve such a “photographic” and light-infused effect in his paintings. He develops an interesting theory, and sets about recreating The Music Lesson using a method he thinks Vermeer might have used – something that goes beyond the camera obscura theory. He approaches the question with the mind of a scientist, which might rattle a few art historians, but is very careful to research all aspects for his experiment, including calculating the dimensions of the room from The Music Lesson and rebuilding it.
It is not yet playing in Santa Barbara, but keep your eye open for it. You can view a trailer here, as well as read more about the film and Tim Jenison.