The Sarasota Art Museum (SAM) will screen the 2023 documentary "Close to Vermeer" as part of its "Art on Film" series on November 21, 2024. Directed by Suzanne Raes, the 78-minute film goes behind the scenes of the largest Vermeer exhibition ever mounted, held in early 2023 at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It follows curators, conservators, collectors, and experts as they negotiate loans, conduct technical scans of paintings, and grapple with the revelation that one work may not be by Vermeer.
The screening matters because it offers audiences a rare, intimate look at the curatorial and conservation work behind a landmark museum exhibition that captured global attention with sold-out tickets and critical acclaim. By combining art history, technical analysis, and the personal passion of those involved, the film deepens public understanding of how major retrospectives are realized and how Vermeer's unique approach to depicting reality continues to inspire.