Marcus Chen
The Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 17th-century oil painting by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. It is one of his most well-known works, and the subject of much intrigue, as the identity of the girl is unknown. The painting has inspired various literary and cinematic works, including a novel by Tracy Chevalier and a film starring Scarlett Johansson. In 2018, the artwork underwent a technical examination, providing insight into Vermeer's materials and techniques. With its mysterious subject, radiant beauty, and intricate details, Girl with a Pearl Earring continues to captivate audiences and inspire creative explorations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Johannes Vermeer |
| Year | c. 1665 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 17.52 × 15.35 inches (44.5 × 39 cm) |
| Subject | Unknown; possibly a real model or a generalized depiction of a young woman |
| Location | Mauritshuis museum, The Hague |
| Recent Examination | 2018, using advanced non-invasive imaging techniques |
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What You'll Learn
The subject of the painting
The subject of Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is a young European woman wearing an exotic or oriental dress, a blue and gold turban, and a large pearl earring. The work is not a portrait but a "tronie," a Dutch term for a character or type of person. The woman's identity is unknown, and it is possible that she was a real model or a fictional creation.
The painting's subject has been the subject of much speculation. Some have suggested that she may represent a Sibyl from Greek mythology or a biblical figure. The girl's expression, with her wide eyes and parted lips, has been compared to the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa."
The painting's title comes from the large pearl earring worn by the girl, which is too large to be real and may be made of glass or a product of Vermeer's imagination. Pearls, both real and imitation, were fashionable in the period from about 1650 to 1680 and often appeared in paintings by contemporary artists.
The girl's dress and turban have also been noted as significant elements of the painting. The turban became a fashion accessory during the period of European wars against the Turks. The exotic or oriental nature of the girl's dress has been interpreted as a sign of her mysterious identity.
The painting's subject has inspired literary and cinematic works, including Tracy Chevalier's 1999 novel "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and the subsequent 2003 film adaptation. In the novel, the girl is fictionalized as a housemaid named Griet who works in Vermeer's home and becomes his paint mixer.
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The artist, Vermeer
Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) was a Dutch artist known for his paintings of 17th-century daily life. He was baptised within the Reformed Church on 31 October 1632. Although 36 of his paintings survive, Vermeer was not well-known outside of Delft and Amsterdam until the 19th century. French critic Étienne-Joseph-Théophile Thoré reassessed the artist's work, bringing him international attention.
Vermeer's work is renowned for its purity of light and form, with the artist often making masterful use of light and shade. He frequently used very expensive pigments, such as ultramarine, a special pigment made of the bright blue mineral lazurite from lapis lazuli. Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, and his paintings include remarkable details. He is thought to have used a unique technique, with sketchy outlines and lots of tiny dots of paint to suggest the reflection of light. This has led some experts to wonder if Vermeer used a 'camera obscura' to achieve his distinctive style.
Vermeer's paintings often depict women in interior scenes completing chores, such as pouring milk, making lace, playing music, or reading a letter. He also painted cityscapes and allegorical scenes. Vermeer's work includes biblical and mythological scenes, such as 'The Allegory of Faith' (1670-1672), which explores symbolic religious applications.
Vermeer was a respected artist in Delft, but he struggled financially, particularly after the collapse of the art market following the invasion of Holland by France in 1672. He died heavily in debt in 1675, leaving his wife and 11 children in poverty.
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The novel and film
The novel "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier was published in 1999 and fictionalises the circumstances surrounding the painting's creation. In the novel, Vermeer becomes close to a servant, Griet, who works in his home as an assistant and sits for him as a model while wearing his wife's earrings. Griet becomes increasingly aware that she is a commodity, first for her parents, then for her employers, and finally for her husband. The novel explores the theme of women's lack of agency in this historical context, as well as the social divisions of status and creed. It was nominated for several fiction prizes and won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award in 2000 and the 2001 Alex Award.
The novel was adapted into a film in 2003, starring Scarlett Johansson as Griet and Colin Firth as Vermeer. The film was nominated for an Oscar.
The painting itself gained fame around the turn of the 21st century, partly due to the 1995 blockbuster exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the subsequent publication and success of Chevalier's novel. In 2003, around the time of the film's release, it travelled to Japan, Italy, and the United States, drawing crowds in each location. In 2012, the painting underwent a two-year investigation using modern imaging techniques, which revealed a green curtain behind the girl and confirmed that she has eyelashes.
The painting has been the subject of various literary and artistic interpretations, including poems and other novels. It has also inspired recreations and allegories, such as the 2009 print by Ethiopian American Awol Erizku, centring on a young black woman and replacing the pearl earring with bamboo earrings to comment on the lack of black figures in museums.
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The painting's history
"Girl with a Pearl Earring" is an oil painting on canvas created around 1665 by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. It is one of his most well-known works, though Vermeer was not a prolific painter during his lifetime, with only 36 known paintings attributed to him. The painting depicts a young woman wearing a blue and gold turban, a large pearl earring, and a gold jacket with a white collar. It is a tronie, a Dutch term for a painting of a character or type, rather than a portrait of a specific individual. The subject of the painting is unknown, and there has been speculation that she is a real model, or a more generalized figure, perhaps representing a Sibyl or biblical character. Some have suggested she is Vermeer's eldest daughter, Maria, though this has been dismissed by some art historians as anachronistic.
The painting is small, measuring 17.52 x 15.35 inches (44.5 x 39 cm), and is signed "IVMeer" but not dated. It is believed to have been created during a period when Vermeer was exploring a shared pearl motif in several of his works. The painting's intimate setting and subtle colour scheme draw the viewer's attention exclusively to the girl, enhancing a sense of mystery around her identity.
The work was originally in poor condition, with parts of the paint layer detached, when it was acquired at auction in The Hague in 1881 by Arnoldus Andries des Tombe for a negligible sum. It attracted the attention of the influential cultural official Victor de Stuers, who recognized it as a Vermeer. De Stuers and Des Tombe agreed not to bid against each other, and the painting eventually became part of Des Tombe's collection, which was open to visitors at his home in The Hague.
In 1885, the future director of the Mauritshuis museum, Abraham Bredius, praised the painting, particularly the superb modelling of the girl's head and the single gleam of light. When Des Tombe died in 1902, he bequeathed the painting to the Mauritshuis, where it permanently resides. In 1994, the painting underwent restoration, enhancing the subtle colour scheme and the intimacy of the girl's gaze. In 2012, as the Mauritshuis building underwent renovations, the painting travelled to Japan, Italy, and the United States, drawing crowds wherever it went.
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Technical examinations
The Girl in the Spotlight project in 2018 involved an international team of scientists and conservators. The project aimed to find out more about the materials and techniques that Vermeer used to create the masterpiece and to document the current condition of the painting since its last treatment in 1994.
Five research questions guided the micro-and-macro-scale analyses:
- What can we find about the layers beneath the surface?
- What steps did Vermeer take to create the painting?
- Which materials did Vermeer use and where did they come from?
- Which techniques did Vermeer use to create subtle optical effects?
- What did the painting look like originally, and how has it changed?
Non-invasive macroscopic imaging methods were used to examine the painting, in conjunction with the reanalysis of microscopic samples. Modern imaging techniques were used to look at the layers beneath the surface, uncovering a green curtain behind the girl and confirming that she has eyelashes. Researchers also tested Vermeer's materials, mapping the sources of his pigments.
The 2018 technical examination project built on previous research conducted during the Vermeer Illuminated project in 1994. During this earlier project, conservators and scientists investigated the material composition and condition of the painting using technical photography (visible light, ultraviolet fluorescence, and infrared), X-radiography, and stereomicroscopy. They also investigated paint samples, often mounted as cross-sections, to understand the build-up of the paint layers.
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Frequently asked questions
The painting's full title should be included in your first reference, for example, "Johannes Vermeer's oil painting 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' (c.1665). Subsequent references can be shortened to "'Girl with a Pearl Earring' or 'Girl' for brevity.
The novel was written by Tracy Chevalier and published in 1999. The citation should include the author's name, the novel's title in italics, the publisher's name, and the publication date. For example: Chevalier, Tracy. *Girl with a Pearl Earring*. HarperCollins, 2006.
The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used in humanities disciplines. For the novel, you can use the template below:
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title*. Publisher, Year.
So the full citation would be:
Chevalier, Tracy. *Girl with a Pearl Earring*. HarperCollins, 2006.
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is used in social sciences. For the novel, your citation should appear as follows:
Last name, First name. (Year). *Title*. Publisher.
So the full reference would be:
Chevalier, T. (1999). *Girl with a Pearl Earring*. HarperCollins.
You can include this information in your first reference to provide full context for your readers. For example: "Johannes Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' (c.1665), an oil painting currently housed in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands, depicts a young woman with an exotic dress and a prominent pearl earring.
