Girl with a Pearl Earring
Artist: Johannes Vermeer
Year Composed: 1665
Artistic Movement: Golden Age
Nationality: Netherlands
Floor Found in Château: Basement
Year Composed: 1665
Artistic Movement: Golden Age
Nationality: Netherlands
Floor Found in Château: Basement
About the Artwork
As one of the most recognizable paintings in the world behind da Vinci's Mona Lisa (1503), Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring has been studied, analyzed, and talked about for centuries. It is the central artistic focus of the modern film of the same name (2003), featuring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. Vermeer's work highlights a young girl dressed in a brownish-yellow dress, a sky-blue turban, and adorned with a large pearl earring, which is how the painting got its title. The solid black background allows the viewer so focus solely on the girl, her enigmatic facial expression, and the white pearl earring. The mystery behind the sitter's expression, her identity, and the lack of a background scene all add to the intrigue that has captivated the world.
About the Artist
Dutch master Johannes Vermeer was born in Delft within the Dutch Republic, known for his cultural and everyday scenes of the Dutch society. Similar to the art of Jacob van Ruisdael, Vermeer expressed a sense of almost-hyper realism with his objects, scenes, and figures. Religion, poetry, music, and science are all allusions that can be found within his scenes, which range from noble society to scenes of everyday life. These paintings can include The Milkmaid (1658), Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665), and The Allegory of Painting (1666-1668).
About the Movement
Girl with a Pearl Earring was composed in the Dutch Golden Age of art. The Dutch Golden Age that spanned the 17th Century (or during the 1600s) in the Netherlands. During this time, the Dutch economy and culture was flourishing due to their rise in maritime trading, banking system, and rise of the middle class. The aesthetics of the Golden Age followed the Baroque Age of art, however the content of most works revolved around genre, everyday scenes of Dutch society. Some of the most famous Dutch Golden Age artists included Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and Jan van Eyck.
Location of Original Work of Art: Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands
As one of the most recognizable paintings in the world behind da Vinci's Mona Lisa (1503), Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring has been studied, analyzed, and talked about for centuries. It is the central artistic focus of the modern film of the same name (2003), featuring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. Vermeer's work highlights a young girl dressed in a brownish-yellow dress, a sky-blue turban, and adorned with a large pearl earring, which is how the painting got its title. The solid black background allows the viewer so focus solely on the girl, her enigmatic facial expression, and the white pearl earring. The mystery behind the sitter's expression, her identity, and the lack of a background scene all add to the intrigue that has captivated the world.
About the Artist
Dutch master Johannes Vermeer was born in Delft within the Dutch Republic, known for his cultural and everyday scenes of the Dutch society. Similar to the art of Jacob van Ruisdael, Vermeer expressed a sense of almost-hyper realism with his objects, scenes, and figures. Religion, poetry, music, and science are all allusions that can be found within his scenes, which range from noble society to scenes of everyday life. These paintings can include The Milkmaid (1658), Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665), and The Allegory of Painting (1666-1668).
About the Movement
Girl with a Pearl Earring was composed in the Dutch Golden Age of art. The Dutch Golden Age that spanned the 17th Century (or during the 1600s) in the Netherlands. During this time, the Dutch economy and culture was flourishing due to their rise in maritime trading, banking system, and rise of the middle class. The aesthetics of the Golden Age followed the Baroque Age of art, however the content of most works revolved around genre, everyday scenes of Dutch society. Some of the most famous Dutch Golden Age artists included Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and Jan van Eyck.
Location of Original Work of Art: Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands