PROGRAMME NOTES VERMEER A note from Executive Producer and Director Phil Grabsky We have filmed at the National Gallery in London many times. It is a wonderful location right in the heart of Welcome to this screening of VERMEER. There may only the city. I love to pop by and look at a painting or two be around 34-36 of his paintings that have survived while on the way from one meeting to another. That, but I’d be surprised if a number of those don’t crop of course, is the great advantage of a free museum. up in many of our lists of top 20 artworks. Would it be Among those paintings that visitors are drawn to are ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’, ‘ The Concert’, ‘View of Delft’, their two Vermeers – ‘A Young Woman Seated at a ‘The Art of Painting’, ‘Woman in Blue Reading a Letter’, Virginal’ and ‘A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal’. ‘The Milkmaid’, ‘The Geographer’?...So many to choose A Virginal is a type of harpsichord popular at the time from. Indeed, as named paintings, Vermeer’s are some of Vermeer (who lived 1632-1675) and the fact that of the most famous in the world. And deservedly so – both the National Gallery paintings depict a musical they are extraordinary. instrument partially led to their exhibition ‘Vermeer and Music – the Art of Love and Leisure’. As soon as I

The Guitar Player, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1672 heard about this show I thought it would make a great platform for a film both about the exhibition itself and, more broadly, this somewhat enigmatic artist.

What I love about making such films is that it allows me and my team to meet and interview global experts. In this case that meant not only the National Gallery curator Betsy Weiseman but also Arthur Wheelock at the National Gallery of Art in Washington and Walter Liedtke at the Met in New York. We also sought insight from Tracy Chevalier, whose best-selling novel, inspired by Vermeer, was made into the blockbuster movie ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’. We blended their biographical expertise with the show itself to reveal a narrative about the art of Vermeer and his contemporaries.

The highly respected and knowledgeable Tim Marlow – art historian and broadcaster – is our presenter for this film. We rarely use presenters but each project is different and I felt Tim was ideal for this one.

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Vermeer and Music: The Art of Love and Leisure facebook.com/exhibitiononscreen by Marjorie E. Wieseman Traces of Vermeer twitter.com/artonscreen by Jane Jelley instagram.com/exhibitiononscreen Vermeer: The Complete Paintings by Walter Liedtke www.exhibitiononscreenblog.com

EOS Vermeer_Filming Vermeer at the National - 22 June © Gallery EXHIBITION ON SCREEN

FEATURED WORKS Christ in the House The Music Lesson, View of Delft, 1660-61 of Martha and Mary, 1662-65, Girl with a Pearl C.1655 Woman with a Earring, c. 1665 The Procuress, 1656 Balance, c.1663-4

EXHIBITION ON SCREEN is produced and distributed by award-winning documentary film-makers Seventh Art Productions. It has been making films on art, music and history for over 35 years and in that time it has produced almost 200 titles. Most are available to download or purchase on DVD from its website: www.seventh-art.com/shop