say with a very unconventional cake. the enormous plastic dessert is made up of over 90000 pieces of lego spread across 9 layers. one for each decade. it was made by employees and is now on display in the time of built home of the lego brick. the company is marking the occasion with celebrations at stores around the world. all right, you are up to date, that's all from us for now. next to is our documentary by the mysterious artist premier. thanks for watching. see again at the top, the next hour. bye bye. ah, i'm the green you feel worried about the planet? i'm the of host of the on the green fence about cost and to me it's clear. we need to change. join me for deep dive into the green transformation for me, for you,

for the plans with. ah, for ah, a deceptively simple image, yon premier's girl reading a letter at an open window from 1657 standing just beyond the curtain. she seems peaceful at one with herself and the moment. the letter hints at the presence of the world outside and into this calm, intimate moment, a figure intrudes a naked cupid. the god of love and desire was detected in an x ray analysis

decades ago, but was largely ignored by the art world. now he's made a dramatic re entrance, a new restoration made clear that the cupid had been painted over by another artist after vermeer of death. the revelation made headlines around the world. the german museum that owns the painting, the old masters, picture gallery or cml, the galaxy and dresden decided to uncover the figure so long concealed official. this really is unique. most basic. he means me writing veneer scholarship. ah, a sensational outcome. after years of research. for centuries, people have been fascinated by the enigmatic paintings of yon vermeer. his works have long defied definitive interpretation. and that has made the artist the subject of highly contentious debates among the world's art scholars.

in dresden, a well funded team of internationally renowned premiere experts got to work using cutting edge technology. they got remarkable results. what started out as the restoration of a single painting as led to the radical transformation of an iconic image. it was the art historical equivalent of open heart surgery. the removal of a layer of paint revealed a cupid and provided plenty of food for thought. as an a truly you have this iconic painting that is imprinted itself in our collective consciousness. now it's no longer there, it's been replaced by another painting actually destined as, as far as wins. offenses for removing the paint is tantamount to a raising history of our motto, victor. and to pull that one, if we have the names here of individuals who may have painted over the mayor, tom,

ah, are you one of those who are attracted by the unknown and unrecognized? are you curious about mystery in reality? about shadow and light? the 2 extremes of both art and life. at the museum in the hague, a suit, purve, and utterly unique painting stops all visitors in their tracks. that makes a lasting impression on artists and connoisseurs alike. it's the view of the town of belt by young vaughan the mere these are the words of the man who rediscovered vermeer in 18. 65. in the nearly 2 centuries after the painter's death, his work had fallen into obscurity. we don't know a lot about from here he is known as the sphinx of dell because we know so little about his life. he lived in delft, which is a town in the netherlands and he had lots of children more than 10 children. so how he got time to paint, i dont know known as yawn or yo harness premier is the

most famous son of delta, the city where he spent his entire life. he was born here in 1632 and ara later called the dutch golden age. a time of unprecedented prosperity for the netherlands when the arts and sciences flourished along with international trade. in total, yon vermeer is legacy amounts to just $37.00 paintings. but each of them is a masterpiece and guaranteed ticket seller for any exhibition. all of them were produced in delphi. vermeer lived on vold is croft for many years. right around the corner from the st. lucas artists guild, of which he was a member. he moved homes just once and thus lived his whole life within a radius of 100 meters. to day that tiny patch of delta draws premier fans from

around the world. vermeer only ever painted to exterior views. the rest of his works depict interiors. the outside world is present only in the light that pours in through lead glass windows. premier's compositions are a camera obscura, in the truest sense, darkened chambers with light entering from one solitary point. space is characterized by a feeling of intimacy and concealment. they arouse in the viewer and urge to unravel a mystery. his paintings are a 3 dimensional experience. ah, vermeer conjured up fleeting moments with a power that enthralls no adherents of strict realism. he frequently changed the scale in form of objects. many of his pictorial elements were inspired by the well to do homes of the burgeoning middle class. ah,

the perspective geometry of the floor tops items from every day life, an artist with an imagination that opened up new horizons. and premier's very particular palette of colors which hailed in part from more exotic lines. and this is the blue pigment, called indigo, that would have come from faraway either in asia or from the west indies. this is a yellow pigment called weld, that is made from a plant that probably grew in the netherlands. and when these 2 colors were mixed together, it would have made a transparent green ah, a new style of painting. incorporating the technological marvels of the time. young premier's friendship with a lens grinder from dell, introduced him to optical innovations like the camera obscura. in premier's imagination, the camera obscura was like the i, it's lens,

the pupil. it's screen the retina, a pete box that cast images on to the wall. this was also the dawn of a new age in art, one that build a vacuum a 100 years after the reformations, destructive iconoclasm. in 1566 protestant iconoclast christians, who saw depictions of religious figures as blasphemous, destroyed paintings in churches across dealt oh, they also rebelled against the curtains that had traditionally been draped across the churches. holiest and most revered paintings to protect them from the masses. mm. the painted curtain would eventually become a motif in its own right. deployed once again by various dutch painters in the mid

17th, sent ah, as a gym, bonds via the 8 is rembrandt. was the 1st to paint the frame, complete with curtain right into the pitch up in the spilled he, 9 of and then this is east alpha there, randall for an item. so the exterior curtain now becomes a motif sign him build motif and illusionary trick called tom ploy. literally meaning deception of the i i know, and that is i, you could also see it is us. the view is being deceived, terry matter valley, because we see the image of a curtain which invites us to try and see behind it. van un sites basin seen swan. he's but that desire to see more about what's hidden behind the curtain is not just about some of the world view or a view from a window. there's other,

i'm friends, spouse, fleet for bonham. so and then meet metaphorically, it's about wanting to see more that through the medium of art in beer them and from there my leg, i pay it can be interpreted as the genesis of ours appreciation with hospital and they constantly papa. i fished in at the peak of the golden age, dutch artists were producing $70000.00 paintings a year. a prolific rate, unprecedented in the history of art does positions and it's very apt for the 17th century, more a time when concepts of time and space were being revolutionized. wandering idle up to that point, it if the world was considered to be in gods, hands and pre determined mia, it's for it's in the 17th century, people began to see themselves as self determining style can call me john ramirez. paintings are and remain, superbly devised invitations to explore new worlds. ah,

for mr. tyler allison booth. what i love about this painting is that it's such a small room, but the longer you look at it, the more expensive the room becomes. so it opens up. it is a hallmark after it says this early work from $1657.00 already incorporates premier's core elements. the use of light, the transient moment, the suggestion of a narrative, ah, pushed an ox, yo fancy and imagination, monitor suddenly you're in a different world. and just as the woman re debbie is in another world on one of various worlds brought to life by johan, his premier. busy interiors where the 4th wall is cast aside as premier gives us moments of intimacy where the ages,

ah and yet for a time for mirrors work was forgotten until a re discovery in dresden augustus the 3rd king of poland, an elector of saxony, military commander, and one of the greatest art patrons of his time, a man with visionary plans, they included the creation of an art gallery, so grand, all of europe would hear of it.

the clinic is that i to some the king had a series of paintings ready for the connection. on initially, they were housed in what were still in the 17th century by the royal stables, in zips in yelled at us. i'm saying this is whether the mer to gallery it was established. would you convey to get it done, english? did that, and with the royal gallery essentially became a proton museum, a temple of art open to all a presentation of his majesty's good taste or bonn, goof, the monarch as arbiter deciding which works well worthy of display. uh, was that oh gun. since the 3rd was a real connoisseur huffed, and he took an active interest in painting and was directly involved in the

acquisitions, he made the tie leash while though the major hubs of the fine art trade were some distance away. the 17th century saw a veritable frenzy of are collecting, both in italy and france, and especially in paris. on the flourishing french market, the principal buyers were cardinal's royalty, the aristocracy, the clergy and monasteries purchasing by a correspondence with their agents on the spot. collectors hosted the 1st public exhibitions of contemporary art by the 18th century auctions were already playing a major role in paris. art dealer's 1st began to emerge. old documents paint a vivid picture of how augustus was able to build up his unique collection.

carrying on that's ish, the. a mysteries from saxony dispatched an alert to placed in about the impending sale of an important connection with a cough. dutch and flemish artists were producing paintings of the highest quality, but augustus, as agents and paris were after something else. the prized collection of victor amadeus, the 1st of savoy, the prince of connie, all eyes is absent. and when the prince of karen yano died in france in 1741, the chief consent for augustus was his collection of italian paintings to the sea, which is why he sent his agents to paris. again, not bodies. the market was a highly competitive one. with the kings of france and portugal, among the bidders augustus employed a range of arc savvy experts and the flemish conservatory. in total,

he managed to acquire 30 paintings from the colony, all collection, spending a fortune in the process. when julia tube he shed it, we can see him which paintings from the famous prince of karen. yeah, no collection went from paris to saxony rule on the handle as hopes and the most prominent among them was a gift beat isis in my id to an e. proud to shoot a mushy as meaning grounded on top of the trade. so a present to shake. ah, don't renew. good, did dubuque, who will take signals, host of ha, as wanted in

a among the many paintings received i, your excellency in the one is i rembrandt get this ions from the implant. looks his aunt, all engine fi, kid ye visa. he jennifer nick. thus i was depicting a young girl reading across from a window on his fence to us, please. ah, ah, this man wilmington is being mistaken for rembrandt. it is due solely to the painted curtain. the curtain was the key elements of the masterpiece. busy an invitation to take a closer look at the scene. this means that by adding a painted curtain i, rembrandt was declaring this painting of his ease is to be

a masterpiece. i my fish trick bexla here. this isn't good. thank. and then it was a gift to a friend, would that so it had to be valuable while henderson. and he was the most celebrated dutch painter, rembrandt. linus off and that for me is the reason why this painting which was obviously very valuable, ended up going to dr. easton as a rembrandt called us and give it a full time pump. ah, so after being given the list of paintings, the king said, i want that one, that one and that one, then he told is chief emissary in paris to verify an essential question. authenticity. transportation was another issue with the wet autumn weather create problems. what about the temperature? and could the paintings be rolled up and a cylinder?

eventually the paintings from the colony on collection arrived in dresden. there they were soon put on display in the king's new museum. ah, one picture was kept from public view. the one given to the king as a present. the girl reading a letter was placed in the king's chambers. the painting was now part of an exclusive and illustrious group, one that included the very best of dutch painting. a privileged position shrouded in mystery. it was hidden away in the private rooms of the ruler of saxony and poland, measuring $83.00 by $64.00 and a half centimeters. this every day, seen by

a dutch master graced the king's cabinet room. this cabinets, it being an integral part of the palace. his ceremonial apartments, access to the cappy night was obviously restrict dental a room where the king could retreat, screening alone or with guests to contemplate his paintings her at pleasure, uncooked on the paintings. there were almost exclusively dutch and flemish works depicting generic seals in barstow. it's a constructed intimacy, intimidated. busy ah, on the script is a spirit mom entering this picture is not straightforward for you 1st have to go past the curtain, then across the rug pick. and suddenly there you are. mando now your parts of event . so she and although events is almost incorrect, as nothing is actually happening,

there is no story hunt lo. busy ah, all you see, is this woman completely absorbed in what she's doing? oh, what might she be reading? her concentrated bass is reflected in the window. oh, how does this woman feel imprisoned or free like the world beyond her window questions that retain their fascination to this day? by 1765, the painting had left the king's private rooms and could now be seen in dresden scam mailed a gallery. busy busy 3 snug unaided got it. he is c, camille de gallery, and i asked and is on par with the louvre in terms of the quality of the paintings at the stump. this was also true in the 18th century life from lou. but brown says

wrong collection in the louvre was completely inaccessible to the public. at this time, a thinking mitten, a hit when placed in his command, a gallery opened in 1746. can any one british, any artist, student with all bay cattle, and we know this from the visitor records accent and could go inside india, connecticut, at a higher, ah, a feast of gold and color accessible to wall, regardless of their social class or origins. ah, ah tazza displeased and certainly have this well renowned connection victory that so all the artists who used to make the journey to montana and rome now had to

go to the instant listener. luck listen, ah, augustus. the third's passion for art extended far beyond the borders of saxony. the birth of this now legendary collection would always be associated with the monarch. dresden is still referred to as the florence of the north. a home for art, a celebration of beauty than the form of a public collection, for every one to see as it's in it's infancy in 1775, the camille de gallery su daneen catalogue commander, go to the, the camille. the gallery had a convenient place. small folks can easily accessible for visitors, thought that that was characteristic. a scramble on and suddenly each and the vermin pops off and stood still listed as rembrandt girl reading at a window ready to convey to go to v a. fixation. and what of course,

it's of him here from now on to so that much the official entry of this painting into the command gallery to go to the and how it was inducted into the history of aunt quince squished ah, rediscovering vermeer for the art world. this was etienne yoseph tail feel tall gaze quest. he would spend almost 10 years of his life tracking down the spinks of dealt, as he called the artist, taught re travelled frequently between the hague and brussels. and later to berlin found shy and vienna. he examined various collections, recommending this superlative dutch men's works to his wealthy friends and newcomers to the art market. a painter who was still relatively unknown due to the small number of his works. ah,

other people had helped to identify premier's paintings. but credit for truly resurrecting the painter's legacy goes to toby ah, guided by comments written by a berlin museum director toys journey eventually took him to dresden, there in the royal gallery of augustus. the 3rd. torbay was able to identify 2 works by yon premier, a triumph ah, among all the old masters on the walls. with these 2, he recognized something ineffable. he'd seen it and all the other premier paintings and brussels, berlin, and vienna. they had been painted by the hand of vermeer. ah,

for me, ellis, if he listens on boot on, often for mere leaves a great deal in his paintings, open an unresolved hop. he works with nuances sponges and in general with subtle modification. thus, with what we call the atmospheric in these and in doing so, he entices us into this atmosphere ish. it seeped, improved on anna. i enjoy it in a way. he introduces ambiguity and coaxes our imagination so that we think that something unresolved, that contract we want to take a better look like it's a find out more astonished question on, are you still bringing this picture to life in your mind? my quote to the spirit, to believe them on when it comes to the relationship between a work of often it's observer, calm game, what could be better? what's his dea, a monkey? not soon, lou. abby vandeveer has spent years examining what is indisputably one of the most famous paintings in the history of art. premier's girl with the

pearl airing of painting that's been celebrated on the big screen, interpreted and reinterpreted over the centuries by a host of observers from the church to royalty, art historians and museum directors to day scientific experts deploy state of the art analysis. really, we wanted to see with these new technologies and with and group of international researchers with lots of different equipment and lots of different expertise, bringing them altogether and find out how much we could find out about the painting as a whole. and from that, some amazing discoveries came up that we hadn't even expected from the beginning. modern technology, shifting the narrative, when it comes to old masterpieces. the new technological options are tantalizing.

with their promise to let us take a peek over the artists shoulder during the process of creation. ah we took the painting off of her usual spot here on the wall and brought her to the golden room of the modest house on especially built easel inside a glass enclosure. and within that enclosure, over a 2 week period, scientists and their equipment. we're used to examine the painting to day scientific analyses routinely use a wide range of imaging devices such as x rays and infrared reflex ta graphy.

microscopic examinations and even invasive microscopic procedures take place and sterile laboratories. and sometimes in full view of the public, it was important for us to keep the painting visible to the public because this is a very important painting that the public love very much. after all, who doesn't love the painting dubbed the mona lisa of the north. the girl with the blue turban and that irresistible glint in her eye, and of course the earring, a mere whisper of white premier's masterpiece, has practically become a pop culture event. with modern discoveries, drawing a new generation of visitors, we knew from samples that were taken in the 19 ninety's that originally the background had a different color that on top of a black under layer for mir applied

a glaze that contains to pigments. one of them blue, indigo, and one of them yellow called weld. so this glazed, this transparent layer on top would have been a very dark green. but then in the top right corner we discovered some diagonal lines. so with this information and the knowledge now that these pigments, these yellow and blue pigments were used, makes us now realised that the background was originally a green curtain. the last green curtain, the tension between concealment and revelation. it draws us in. now what had begun with an x ray analysis for decades ago was set to be resolved. the initial discovery was ignored by international art scholars who assumed the over painting had been done by premier himself. but had it under the

expectant d among the experts who advised augustus the third's ancient in paris was a flemish man. i was bent the pain 10 am to restore a hack wound to this shall jones, batista slots slots is. and he was famous for his talent for storing in we painting and touching up works sheehan, including venza flemish and dutch painter. estimate this in the south. we know that he also restored a number of paintings from the carrying yano collection in prior to that arrival in placed an enough place to close it. upset now doesn't of all we can santa call us whether that girl reading a letter was one of these is, is but it's a legitimate assumption. anthony, in perhaps m by artists, or restorers who came along later wanted to a sort of update the paintings to appeal more to the sensibilities of the time. so

for instance, young woman reading a letter in an open window, perhaps in the time that it was over painted. they wanted to the viewer to concentrate on the stillness, the beauty, the concentration of the woman, and not be distracted by the cupid behind her. as blood speculative vow, homeless to the gl model. mm hm. and why it was over painted remains a point of speculation and will never be precisely explained. i know quick tour for me. it seems like a subsequent correction. for me it's a very early the man dish between beulah uncorked than consisted a of i can't or so. and if you look at it later, paintings your he largely leaves out allegorical additions like this were from from me i'm course who can as i was voc stegel, perhaps some connoisseur of him is work said to deny he never would have painted it like that in his later period, let's corrected as he would have an a raise this fresco in the back on stay dessert . this over to the fresco sikander. in 2019,

the cml de galleria greeted the art sensation of the year. the picture had a new feature, cupid, the god of love and desire. i don't teach loss of him when we decided to restore the girl reading a letter we made use of all available analytical techniques. was into a great surprise of it. we realized that this over painting was not by vermeer him, but must have been done several decades later by someone else. and samuel's as good as, as the painting was bought and brought to tristan as a rembrandt. but this strange and rowdy cubit in the background would have been out of place in francisco, passed a revelation, a more colorful, playful side to vermeer. but what would the experts say? an international team gathered to hear the man in charge of restoration, explain why they get feared i english by that as de leon got off, he knows thus in mind,

what are strategy for the restoration seeks to do is to put the painting in the condition in which it might have left the art studio hunter is always nice hawk. initially, it was a shock, and i did this opens up whole new avenues of interpretation in lucas cadence. and i told me unquestionably, exposing the cupid figure gives the picture of our clear message. ah kid, come on of all fog but almost us all. conversely, you can also ask why the so called original is so important. why go back in times it for sure you can say, because this was al vermeer painted it offers italy for me at if we now claim to be capable of recreating the original picture in that we would have to 1st learn to see things as they did in the 17th century, read aloud and v m. zip st. yona say about suzanne. there is the tendency to have to weigh the historical value of changes that have happened to an object over time

versus the artist's original intention. and is it important to preserve those historical changes or to bring back a painting as close as it was to when vermeer painted it? ah, it's a debate that now accompanies the work of yon vermeer like a shadow. and i have i it is. and that decision was also a brave one with the previous history going back to 1979. people knew after we x ray that there was something underneath, aside with $121.00 who does a showed which was in mine, arg, after french i and crowns was on gavia. they could have said, yes, we do know about the over painting and what used to be hidden behind it. and a happy to pass on that knowledge is vis a game, or we can still live with how it's been for centuries, him leap because that's also a part of its history history. and now this over painting is in turn being a raised visit grandma. so removing the paint is tantamount to a raising history fast, so it was fair. i negotiated so after all, bermonte,

the rebel motto vector. and in my experience, people are really excited when there is a new discovery bought a painting that they have known for a long time. but on the other hand, there are also people who have known the painting to look this way for a very long time for hundreds of years. this paint has looked this way and it's going to take a certain amount of time to get used to how it looks now and to really rethink what this means within from years over 90 latest countryman, in theory, i could always return it to that tradition which type of a, but it's now been liberated with a scalpel that was used to scrape off the lands on and an english before i turn on to ultimately, another pleasant effect is that the colors now radiate a completely different vibrancy cuff to fla. the sooner under the beautiful thing about the vermeer painting as it was until now, a list is that it allows us to develop our own ideas on it as like encroachments are. you could talk about a mere appealing to mature,

fewest hotter than appeal to our sense of mystery. perhaps this explains the enduring fascination exerted by the works of yon vermeer, an artist who used enigma to stimulate viewers imagination by leaving so many interpretations open. vermeer can be seen as offering up a fundamentally democratic perspective in his art. and it was a king and dresden, who was one of the 1st in europe to open up this world to his subjects. his public gallery gave every one the opportunity to contemplate art as august. it's it is little augustus. the 3rd is famous for being a real lover of painting all that good. this is any straight it in an anecdote about the sistine chapels. mcdonough by raphael, king charlotte on of this painting had been

a quiet in italy after very complex negotiations that took about a year. and then it finally arrives in placed and it was carried into the throne room with a king himself. singlehandedly pushes his throne to one side and says, make way for the great raphael. the king made way for art o young, fond de mer, or yon of the sea, as he was sometimes called a painter who left vacant spaces in his art to spur our imaginations. a tantalizing promise of freedom. premier's masterpieces ended up in museums which have always served both as cultural arbiters and oases of freethinking every day. thousands of people view his

paintings works originally intended only for private consumption by prosperous citizens of 17th century delft adorning the dark walls of dutch townhouses. but what is it that we see in his art, and what role do museums play to day? are these traditional sanctuaries of independent thinking, becoming increasingly compromised? the moods of to gig, if we look at the present and the current culture was affected, we see ethics becoming increasingly important. foot on and artistic liberty, no longer enjoying the same automatic respect that it used to invite us people. zia and workers baskets flies, a bite of one notable example is the saatchi gallery in london. modest. it had a series of high profile scandals where the point was always to stir up the audience in order to generate headlines and visitor numbers who can only yell when

he gets hungry pallets. and suddenly we had the case of 2 paintings going on. display men that were so outrageous and problematic for some people that the gallery ended up deciding to cover them up. you could even call it the vermeer effect as due to the sudden boom and interest in fem. yeah. effect. then just said, sisters and tessa and isn't the matter state, and does the sal did the electors, that's the dialectical logic. and all of these current conflicts did the artists who are supposed to be banished and taken down. now enjoy an amazing amount of attention, making them a lot more popular william see for so what this repressing or even removing of things leads to is if anything people really starting to talk about these poems or paintings, quote, i, are we seeing a contemporary revival of the a conic last museums are increasingly becoming cultural battle grounds as debates rage over what should be shown, many museums have their roots and

a monarchy system. today, their narrative authority is compromised. a tele med in here and i believe the future lies in an involving public few sites. one for it's one and exec are growing social diversity, digital natives and the alternative perspectives. they bring kind any kind of twin as iran game and, and we have to provide this public with a meaningful framework, isis green. but here the old masters comply a special rollin and lance i. tom also advised invisalign anchor dead. have been an anchor, if the generations, they provide continuity, again passing on both love and knowledge of this and by tag him. after spending 300 years in our collective consciousness, girl reading a letter has been consigned to history. making way for new interpretations

meet their file equal the unveiling as the cheaper it makes the genre of the letter clear. but keith, i'm dieties. i bet, but questions remain for east as even in zina i met am. is this a faithful love, free free aveena love form. the form of love remains ambivalent and enigmatic lady, luft in de obvious symbolism connected to the playing card is covered up by the painted curtain. he is able to wasting being for home for her i'm. this is the root of the ambiguity and the mystery then remains the thumb o blight. ah, the eternal mystery of a love story revealed now by the uncovering of a cupid. should some things remain secret?

what does art history stand to gain? a new vermeer? the original art work, a new debate. ah, the mystery of vermeer will continue to beguile us that much his certain, ah mm. with a renaissance of fossil energy. in north dakota, everyone was in favor of oil. as the 2nd largest oil state in the usa is profiting from the current energy crisis,

people hope that the industry and with that jobs will once again made in germany. in 30 minutes on d w. conflict zone with bereft banner di russia and ukraine are taking heavy casualties in the don bus. but has ukraine already lost the east? my guest this week believes that is likely the case in burma is a political scientist and founder of the your racial rope thing going to happen in the little the russians set. and we'll ask all this and more on this week's conflict zone. please don't with minutes on really w, ukraine with you become a criminal pre climate. oh, really news with hackers?

realism, tire societies, computers that out some are you and governments that go crazy for your data. we explain how these technologies work, how they can go in for, and that's how they can also go terribly. watch it now on youtube. oh, this is dw news, and these are our top stories. ukraine says 9 russian war plains have been destroyed in explosions at an air base in the annexed crimea. region. one person was killed and several others injured. ukraine denies bombing the air base, but a.