De schilderkunst

In the spring of 2005, the famous painting De schilderkunst by Johannes Vermeer was displayed for some time in the Mauritshuis in The Hague. On the initiative of critic and philosopher Dijkhuis, four art experts and one filmmaker gathered around this sublime canvas shortly before it was returned to Vienna. The artists Peter Struycken, Ger van Elk and Rob van Koningsbruggen and the art historian Gary Schwartz stand around the painting and discuss it. Filmmaker Kees Hin captured their reactions to this 'perfect Vermeer'. Like nobody can, they cannot escape the enchantment that the work radiates, either. Does it tell a story or does it lean to the abstract? Is it a reflection of reality or is it an allegory? Were the tiles painted realistically or were they consciously rendered sketchily? Then, visiting hours are over, the lights are switched off and the gentlemen go their way. `The enigma has increased, as expected.'