Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/398245
s e p t e m b e r . o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 c g w 3 3 M O D E L I N G . 3 D P R I N T I N G I had thought," Jenison says. An- other revelation: The original is more blue-ish and less colorful than the reproductions, "and that was encouraging, because it looked a lot more like I had expected," he adds. M A K I N G A C O N C L U S I O N So, aer years of research and experimentation, what conclu- sion did Jenison reach concern- ing the artist? The experiment did prove that Vermeer could have painted this way. "With- out any actual proof, it comes down to, what percentage am I convinced? I am about 90 percent convinced that he used a setup like mine to paint. There isn't a note from Vermeer saying he used a mirror and matched the colors with the mirror," says Jenison. But then again, artists of that period, as now, are mum when it comes to trade secrets. In the time since the film was completed, the queen agreed to have a high-resolution scan made of her painting so Jenison can continue his research. "There is more evidence of the use of optics in the original picture than I had seen in the reproductions," he says. Could this experiment have been done without the use of LightWave? "It was necessary for me. This could not have hap- pened differently. I needed to use LightWave for the research and to make the [real] furni- ture," says Jenison. "By using LightWave, it all fell into place." Jenison also has since uncov- ered an artist, Italian Painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravag- gio, who preceded Vermeer by roughly a century and may have used a mirror to match colors. "His style was totally different than the artists of the time and set the art world on its ear with very accurate lighting on the faces of his subjects. When he died, he had a lot of mirrors in his possession, which is unusual, and would never let people see him paint," Jenison explains. Some of the information Jen- ison found is in other languages, and he is having the documents translated. And, he is hoping his film will lead to others who may have some information to share about Vermeer that could shed further light on the subject. In fact, his research garnered nearly 2,400 hours of material, which was condensed into an 80-minute film. So, Jenison is considering writing a book, a trip through history possibly, that would contain new infor- mation about the use of such a device by painters. "I think Caravaggio used a very simple setup, and for my own curiosity, I might try to paint a Caravaggio [in much the same way as the Vermeer]," Jenison says, noting this time he would not make a movie out of it – "It's too much work" – but would probably turn on a camera in case "something interesting happens." ¢ Karen Moltenbrey is the chief editor of CGW. JENISON CHANNELS VERMEER, PLAYING THE VIOLA DA GAMBA USED IN THE PAINTING TABLEAU. WORKS BY VERMEER LINE THE BACK WALL.