The Last Vermeer (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Han van Meegeren was arrested for selling a painting to Hermann Goering that was believed to be an authentic work by the revered Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. This was considered collaboration with the Nazis and theft of Dutch cultural heritage, crimes punishable by death in post-war Netherlands.

• arrest
• fraud
• nazi collaboration
• hermann goering
• vermeer painting

Van Meegeren used a technique involving bakelite and cleverly heated canvas to age his paintings and give them an appearance of authenticity. He fabricated 'discoveries' of lost Vermeer works, passing off his own creations as genuine masterpieces to fund his extravagant lifestyle.

Foreshadowing: Earlier criticism of Van Meegeren's original work foreshadowed his turn to fraud when genuine recognition failed to materialize.

• forgery
• fake paintings
• bakelite technique
• art fraud
• canvas heating

Piller grew convinced of Van Meegeren's innocence after discovering an unfinished canvas in an abandoned safehouse that resembled a painting seized from the Nazis. This, combined with his suspicions about Alex De Klerks' motives, led Piller to believe Van Meegeren was being unfairly prosecuted.

Foreshadowing: Piller's growing unease about De Klerks' interest in the case planted the seeds of doubt that led to his defense.

• joseph piller
• defense
• unfinished canvas
• safehouse discovery

During the trial, Piller created a diversion that allowed him to secretly tamper with one of the paintings using acid. This act unexpectedly revealed Van Meegeren's signature hidden beneath the surface, proving the works were modern forgeries rather than genuine Vermeers, which led to the verdict being immediately overturned.

• court verdict
• acid tampering
• signature reveal
• overturned sentence
• hero reception

De Klerks presented Piller with a book retrieved from the safehouse that was written by Han van Meegeren and dedicated to Adolf Hitler. This revelation exposed Van Meegeren's true political allegiances, contradicting the narrative that he had been a victim of Nazi persecution.

• adolf hitler book
• de klerks
• van meegeren Nazis sympathies
• dedication

After confronting Van Meegeren about the book and being scornfully dismissed, Piller threw the incriminating volume into the flames. This act symbolized his rejection of the lies and moral corruption that had pervaded the investigation, representing a form of purification from the deception he had uncovered.

• burn book
• symbolic act
• piller disillusionment
• purification

The film reveals that Van Meegeren was not the hero the public celebrated. While he was technically innocent of selling genuine Vermeers to the Nazis, he was a fraudster who had forged paintings and, more disturbingly, harbored genuine Nazi sympathies as evidenced by his Hitler-dedicated book. His exoneration was technically correct but left a bitter aftertaste.

• van meegeren character
• nazi sympathies
• fraudster
• betrayal truth

The film suggests De Klerks had his own agenda in pursuing Van Meegeren's case with unusual intensity. Piller grew suspicious of De Klerks' motivations early in the investigation, though the full extent of De Klerks' interests remains somewhat ambiguous, tied to the broader post-war power dynamics and settling of accounts.

Foreshadowing: Piller's doubts about De Klerks' motives emerged during his initial interrogations.

• alex de klerks
• motivation
• piller suspicion
• post-war justice

Minna burst into Piller's home with urgent news that a recently uncovered Vermeer portrait bore an uncanny resemblance to Cootje, the woman Piller loved. This discovery deeply affected Piller and strengthened his determination to investigate Van Meegeren's case thoroughly.

• minna
• vermeer portrait
• cootje resemblance
• piller love interest

Piller, a former Dutch resistance fighter during the war, was assigned the task because of his investigative experience and reputation. His background in resistance work made him a logical choice to uncover the truth about art theft and potential collaboration in post-war Netherlands.

• joseph piller
• resistance fighter
• investigator assignment
• dutch art theft