Taj Week 9: Who is Considered an Artist?
Who is Considered an Artist?
My father this Friday noticed our school’s three day weekend which prompted him to subsequently recommend we watch one of his favorite movies: The Last Vermeer.
The film is based on a true story. The story took place after World War Two in the Netherlands where allied officials and local military were working on tracking down Natzi spies and rebuilding the country from the wreckage caused by the war efforts. Captain Joseph, the protagonist of the film, was tasked by the allied army to locate stolen paintings from the Natzis and uncover the network of informants which supplied Hitler with his massive art collection.
Captain Joseph began his investigation through a note which mentioned a certain Han Van Meegeren sold a newly discovered Vermeer painting for 1.6 million Dutch guilders, a record setting amount in 1945. Meegeren was taken into custody where he was accused of colluding with the enemy by supplying Natzi's invaluable Dutch art.
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It dawned on him that Meegeren created fake Vermeers and instead of being a traitor he was a patriot who swindled millions of dollars worth of assets from the Natzis, but he had one large problem: proving that a suspected fascist sympathizer and disgruntled artist imitated one of the greatest composers of all time. Joseph had a difficult battle and despite winning the opinion of the public, Van Han Meegeren was sentenced to death.
During the uproar from the crowd, Joseph bolted to the Vermeer displayed as evidence for the court—thought to be authentic and priceless—and poured acid which revealed a set of initials: “HVM” for Han Van Meegeren.
The second those initials were revealed to the world and that the Vermeer was indeed a fake—making the piece worthless. Although none of the brush strokes, condition, or paint palette changed, a piece that would have sold for millions of Dutch guilders days before was reduced to a sum less than a few thousand. Han Van Meegeren not only deceived Natzis, but he also shed light on the questionable power art critics give to those who they believe are considered artists. The power the name of a composer holds which makes the difference between an invaluable piece of history and a tacky copycat.
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ReplyDeleteHi Taj! I admire your take on power and its meaning through art. Your narration of the movie was incredibly summarized in a way that included the right amount of details and description without being lengthy nor redundant. It also inspired me to watch the movie for myself especially because your analysis portrays the movie in a very mystical and enlightening way. I noticed how you took the majority of your blog to place emphasis on the storyline and plot of the movie and then, towards the end, explained how the film's main ideas connect to your intended portrayal of power. Your elaboration on the "questionable power" that art critics hold was extremely insightful as the topic of deceitfulness through artwork and the power a mere name can embody is uncommon and rarely mentioned. You were able to blend the two ideas of value and power with a strong example being the movie and successfully convey how power is evidently apparent through Meegeran's deceitfulness and Captain Joseph's acuity.
ReplyDeleteI thought your blog was extremely well-written, due to its blend of summary and interpretation. Your formatting was also extremely well-thought-out. The introduction prevented the abruptness typically experienced when first exploring a text and suggested a personal connection to your topic. Then, you ease the reader into the setting and plot of The Last Vermeer. Your description was extremely brief, but it was extremely fascinating and willed me to read on. I found it interesting that Hitler, who was such a ruthless person, was interested in something so soft and beautiful as art. But I think this proves that many of us have double personalities, even if some do not openly scratch the surface. I am naturally inclined to mystery novels, and your text convinced me that I was in fact reading one. I was engaged within your text and even started making my own conclusions although I could have just scrolled down to figure out the ending. I thought: wait a minute, Vermeer paintings were from the 1600s, so why did a 20th-century work have such a stunning similarity. Your ability to involve the audience speaks to your great ability as a writer. You concluded your blog on a powerful note that nicely tied the story of The Last Vermeer to your interpretation of the value of modern-day art.
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