Johannes Vermeer, one of the best known artists from the Dutch Golden Age, appears particularly popular in Japan. Once in a while, one or two of his works show up in Tokyo galleries and are used as bait to attract fans to otherwise dull and uninteresting exhibitions. There, his masterpieces are surrounded by indifferent paintings by little-known artists.
It's difficult to blame curators for this, though, when only 37 works have been recognized as authentic Vermeers, a few of which are actually still being disputed, and one of which, "The Concert," was stolen in 1990 and never seen again. These works are also scattered over 17 different institutions in North-Eastern America and Europe. Even The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which has the most, only owns five of them.
Molecular biologist Shin'ichi Fukuoka, however, has come up with a high-tech solution to house all Vermeer's works under one roof. He spent four years traveling the world photographing the originals. Then, using state-of-the-art digital mastering and printing techniques he re-created the masterpieces in their true dimensions. These prints are now being exhibited at the Vermeer Center in Ginza.