Review of Tim's Vermeer (2013) by Bhbarry — 05 Feb 2014

“Tim’s Vermeer” is a documentary involving Tim Jenison, the noted inventor and visual arts entrepreneur, and his inquiry into the style and methods used by Johannes Vermeer who Mr. Jenison considers to be the finest artist of the 17th Century or, for that matter, any Century.

Jenision ‘s aim or goal is to answer the question: “How did Vermeer do it” and were optical assists used in the creaton of his art. With input from artists such as actor Martin Mull and artist David Hockney, under the able narration of Penn Jillette and direction of Teller, Mr. Jenison shares with the audience his scientific means of trying to discover and prove what optical devices were used by artist Vermeer under the same circumstances and limitations that faced Mr. Vermeer in the 1600’s. This is an absorbing film with Jenison sharing each effort, success and setback as he, although not an artist himself, seeks to create a Vermeer painting using the techniques he hypothesizes the artist used some 400 years ago.

This film is not only for art buffs, but for those of us ready to witness an inventor who, with tenacity and spirit, works tirelessly to achieve the desired result. I give this film an 8.5 and highly recommend that it be seen by as many viewers as possible.