The Girl with a Pearl Earring is considered to be Vermeer’s most well-known work of art. It is not a portrait; rather, it is a tronnie, which is a painting of a fictional character. Tronies are used to portray a specific type or character, which in this case is a young woman dressed in an exotic manner and accessorized with an oriental turban and an improbable large pearl in her ear.
The artist Johannes Vermeer was a genius with light. This is demonstrated by the gentleness of the girl’s face, as well as the glints of light that can be seen on her wet lips. And last but not least, the radiant pearl.
Details
Girl with a Pearl Earring shows a woman in a dark, shallow space. She wears a white-collared gold jacket and a blue-and-gold turban. Unlike many of Vermeer’s subjects, she’s not doing a daily chore and unaware of her viewer. She looks over her shoulder with wide eyes and parted lips. Some compare her expression and identity to Mona Lisa (c. 1503–19). Unlike the Mona Lisa, Girl with a Pearl Earring is a tronie. Vermeer painted a young woman, but the painting isn’t about her (likely Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant). Vermeer’s subject is an exotic-dressed young woman. Vermeer’s work shows his skill and interest in light. Soft modeling of the subject’s face shows his mastery of light over line. Her lips and earring reflect his concern with representing light on different surfaces.
- Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring
- Creator: Johannes Vermeer
- Date Created: c. 1665 (digitized by Madpixel)
- Physical Dimensions: 44.5 x 38.1 cm
- Provenance: Pieter Claesz van Ruijven, Delft, before 1674; his widow, Maria de Knuijt, Delft, 1674-1681; (?) their daughter Magdalena van Ruijven, and Jacob Dissius, Delft, 1681-1682; (?) Jacob Dissius (with his father Abraham Dissius, 1685-1694), Delft, 1682-1695; Dissius sale, Amsterdam, 16 May 1696, lot 38 (f36,-), 39 (f17,-) or 40 (f17,-); Braams sale, The Hague, 1881 (day and month unknown) (f2,30 to Des Tombe); A.A. des Tombe, The Hague, 1881-1902 (on loan to the Mauritshuis in 1881); bequest of Arnoldus Andries des Tombe, The Hague, 1903
- Type: Painting
- External Link: Gigapixel image digitized by Madpixel
- Medium: Oil
- Further Information: This image is part of Second Canvas Mauritshuis app
Facts about the Painting
Despite a deceptively simple composition, Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring has captured the imaginations of art fans around the world. While little is certain about the girl behind the mesmerizing gaze, here’s what we do know about this now-legendary work.
1. It is considered to be the artist’s most well-known work.
The Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, who lived during the 17th century, is credited with creating the masterpiece known as “Girl With a Pearl Earring” (1632-1675).
Vermeer was an artist who specialized in depicting everyday family life and indoor settings of middle-class life during the Dutch Baroque Period. During this time, the Netherlands was in the midst of its Golden Age. In addition to this, it is well-known that he is an expert in the application of light in his paintings.
The fact that he died leaving his wife and children in debt is evidence that he was not particularly wealthy. He also did not produce a large number of paintings, primarily due to the fact that he painted fairly slowly. This is further evidence that he was not particularly wealthy.
In spite of these factors, he was accorded a fair amount of respect by his contemporaries, rose to prominence as a painter in a provincial setting, and went on to become one of the most well-known Dutch painters in the history of the art world.
2. When was Girls With a Pearl Earring initially released to the public?
Nobody is able to pinpoint the exact year that the painting was finished. It wasn’t until 1675 that it was included in the inventory of the Mauritshuis in The Hague, which was the first time that it was ever mentioned.
On the other hand, it’s been determined that the painting was finished in the year 1665.
3. It was created in the Dutch Golden Age
Johannes Vermeer was a prime example of a “Dutch Golden Age Painter,” a style that can still be classified as Baroque paintings but lacks the extravagant splendor that is characteristic of the Baroque style. This style was popular in the Netherlands during the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Dutch Golden Age lasted for the majority of the 17th century, beginning in the middle of the War of the Eighty Years (1568-1648).
During this time period, the Dutch Republic was the most prosperous nation in all of Europe. They were also leaders in the fields of trade, science, and art during this time.
One of the most significant aspects of the painting Girl With a Pearl Earring is the fact that it was created during a time when there was a significant decrease in the number of religious paintings. There were no paintings depicting the Last Supper or the Creation of Adam, and instead, a new style of secular paintings came into existence.
4. The painting’s subject may be an artist
Benjamin Binstock, a Renaissance and Baroque art expert, said in 2014 that Maria may have created one-fifth of her father’s works. Mistress and Maid, Girl with a Red Hat, and Woman with a Lute could be Maria’s. Each model wears a recognizable earring.
Also, in the months of February and March of the year 2018, a group of scientists from all over the world got together to conduct an in-depth analysis of the painting using X-ray technology and a specialized scanner.
The leader of the group that conducted the research, Abbie Vandivere, mentioned that the background of the painting wasn’t always black like it is today, but that it was actually a green curtain at one point.
It should also be mentioned that Vermeer made a number of alterations to the painting as he moved forward in the process of creating this magnificent work of art. At one point, the position of the ear, the top of the headscarf, and the back of the neck were all moving around independently of one another.
Last but not least, it was found that the girl has very fine eyelashes, a detail that led researchers to believe that Vermeer was actually painting a real person rather than the belief that he painted an idealized face of a person.
5. This priceless painting was cheap
The painting was created in 1801 and sold in 1881. Arnoldus Andries des Tombe, a Dutch art collector, bought Girl with a Pearl Earring for 2 guilders plus 30 cents. Des Tombe’s work was willed to The Hague’s Mauritshuis after his death in 1902.