Elena Rossi
Johannes Vermeer's oil painting, 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', is one of his most famous works. Completed around 1665, the painting depicts a young European girl wearing a blue and yellow turban, a gold jacket, and a very large pearl earring. The work is considered a 'tronie', a Dutch term for a painting of a character or type, rather than a portrait. The girl's identity is unknown, and her enigmatic expression has led to comparisons with the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa'. The painting has inspired numerous literary and cinematic works, including a 1999 novel by Tracy Chevalier and a 2003 film starring Scarlett Johansson.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Johannes Vermeer |
| Year | c. 1665 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 17 ½ x 15 3/8 in. (44.5 x 39.0 cm) |
| Genre | Tronie (Dutch 17th-century term for a "head") |
| Subject | Unknown, possibly a live model or a generalized figure |
| Description | European girl wearing an exotic dress, an oriental turban, and a large pearl earring |
| Background | Originally a deep enamel-like green created using a glaze technique |
| Current Location | Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands |
| Popular Culture | Inspired Tracy Chevalier's 1999 novel "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and the subsequent 2003 film adaptation |
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What You'll Learn
The painting's subject and inspiration
The subject of the painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is a European girl wearing a blue and yellow turban, a gold jacket, and a very large pearl earring. The girl's identity is unknown, and there has been much speculation about who she might have been. Some have suggested that she was a live model, perhaps Vermeer's eldest daughter, or a housemaid named Griet who worked for Vermeer and became his paint mixer. It is also possible that Vermeer created a more generalized and mysterious woman, perhaps a Sibyl or a figure from the Bible.
The painting is not a portrait but a "tronie", a Dutch term for a character or type of person. Tronies depict idealized faces or exaggerated expressions and often feature exotic clothing and accessories, like the turban and enormous earring worn by the girl in the painting. The turban had become a popular fashion accessory during the period of European wars against the Turks.
The pearl earring itself is a striking feature of the painting. It is too large to be real, and Vermeer likely painted it with just two strokes of white paint: one at the bottom to reflect the collar and a thick dab at the top. The earring may have been made of glass, which was varnished to give it a matte sheen, or it may have been an imitation pearl created by Vermeer's imagination.
The painting has been the subject of literary and cinematic treatments, including a bestselling historical novel by Tracy Chevalier published in 1999 and a film adaptation released in 2003. Chevalier's novel presents a fictional account of Vermeer, the girl in the painting, and the artwork itself, set in 17th-century Delft, Holland. The film adaptation starred Scarlett Johansson as the fictional Griet and Colin Firth as Vermeer.
"Girl with a Pearl Earring" is considered one of Vermeer's most famous works and has been described as the "Mona Lisa of the North". The painting is known for its beauty, with the striking colours of the girl's headscarf set against a dark background, the glistening pearl, the expert capturing of light and shade on her luminous skin, and the direct gaze of the girl, engaging the viewer.
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The artist, Vermeer
Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch Golden Age painter, active during the 17th century. He lived his entire life in the Dutch town of Delft, where he married a Catholic woman and had 11 children. Vermeer was an art dealer and valuer, as well as an artist, and was also in debt several times.
Vermeer is considered a master of light, with his paintings often depicting intimate household scenes with amazing light. He was a deliberate painter, and as a result, he completed fewer paintings than his contemporaries. There are only 36 known works by Vermeer, many of which are genre paintings of women at daily tasks. Notable examples include 'Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window' and 'The Music Lesson'. Vermeer occasionally signed his paintings, and 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' bears his signature, "IVMeer".
Vermeer's work gained recognition in the 19th century due to the French critic Théophile Thoré, who wrote under the pseudonym William Bürger. However, 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' became one of Vermeer's most famous pieces only in the 21st century, with a blockbuster exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1995, and the publication of Tracy Chevalier's bestselling novel of the same name in 1999. The painting has since drawn crowds in Japan, Italy, and the United States, and has become a popular image reproduced on various merchandise.
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The painting's history and restoration
Girl with a Pearl Earring, created by Johannes Vermeer around 1665, is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It is a tronie, a Dutch 17th-century description of a "head" that was not meant to be a portrait. The painting depicts a European girl wearing an exotic dress, an oriental turban, and a large pearl as an earring. The subject of the painting is unknown, and it is possible that Vermeer created a more generalised and mysterious woman, perhaps representing a Sibyl or biblical figure.
The painting has had various names over the centuries and was known as Girl with a Turban after it was bequeathed to the Mauritshuis. By 1995, the title Girl with a Pearl was considered more appropriate. The painting has been in the collection of the Mauritshuis in The Hague since 1902 and has been the subject of various literary and cinematic treatments.
The painting was restored in 1994, and the subtle colour scheme and the intimacy of the girl's gaze towards the viewer were enhanced. It was discovered that the dark background was originally a deep enamel-like green produced by applying a thin transparent layer of glaze over a black background. However, the two organic pigments of the green glaze, indigo and weld, have faded over time.
In 2022, an international team of scientists examined the painting using advanced imaging techniques and made several discoveries. They found that Vermeer made changes to the composition during the painting process, including adjustments to the position of the ear, the top of the headscarf, and the back of the neck. The team also identified and mapped Vermeer's colour palette, revealing that the raw materials for the colours came from various regions around the world, including what are now Mexico, Central America, England, and possibly Asia or the West Indies.
The painting has inspired various literary works, including poems, novels, and short stories. Tracy Chevalier's 1999 novel, "Girl with a Pearl Earring," fictionalised the circumstances of the painting's creation and presented a fictional account of Vermeer, the girl in the painting, and the artwork itself. The novel has sold over five million copies worldwide, reflecting a shared curiosity about Vermeer's work.
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The pearl earring
The painting, dated around 1665, is an oil canvas and falls under the category of ""tronie"" in Dutch art, which refers to a study of a head and shoulders dressed in exotic clothing. The girl's dress includes an oriental turban and the famous pearl earring. The turban is wound from two pieces of material, one blue and one yellow, adding a colourful touch to the composition. The earring, with its luminous shine, stands out against the dark background, drawing attention to the girl's face and expression.
The painting has undergone restoration and conservation treatments over the years, including in 1994 when it was discovered that the dark background was originally a deep enamel-like green created by a glaze technique. This effect has been lost over time due to the fading of the organic pigments used. During this restoration, a subtle highlight on the girl's lip, created by Vermeer but overpainted in past treatments, was also uncovered, enhancing the intimacy of her gaze.
The identity of the girl in the painting remains a mystery, with various theories speculating that she may have been a real model or a more generalized and mysterious figure, perhaps representing a Sibyl or biblical character. The earring, along with the exotic dress and turban, contributes to the sense of intrigue and has inspired literary and cinematic works, including Tracy Chevalier's bestselling novel "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and the subsequent film adaptation.
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The girl's expression
The expression of the girl in Johannes Vermeer's painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is often described as enigmatic, open, yet mysterious. The girl's gaze is intimate, and she meets the viewer's eyes directly, drawing them in. Her head is turned over her shoulder, and her lips are slightly parted as if she is about to speak. There is a gleam in her greyish-blue eyes, and her face is soft and luminous.
The painting is a tronie, a Dutch term for a painting of a character or type, not a portrait. As such, the girl's expression may not be that of a specific individual but rather a generalized, timeless, and mysterious figure, perhaps a Sibyl or a biblical character.
The restoration of the painting in 1994 enhanced the intimacy of the girl's gaze, and a subtle highlight on her lip, created by Vermeer but overpainted during past treatment, was also uncovered.
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Frequently asked questions
The painting is a tronie, a Dutch 17th-century description of a "head" that was not meant to be a portrait. It depicts a European girl wearing an exotic dress, an oriental turban, and a large pearl earring. The subject of the painting is unknown, and it is speculated that she may represent a Sibyl from Greek mythology or one of the women in the Bible.
Johannes Vermeer, a Dutch Golden Age painter, painted 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' around 1665.
The painting has been in the collection of the Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands, since 1902.
