Girl with a Pearl Earring

Located in the de Young Museum for a short period of time lies the Girl with a Pearl Earring, a portrait by the Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. It was painted back in 1665, during the Baroque period, with the use of oil on canvas. Girl with a Pearl Earring is considered to be one of Vermeer's most famous piece of work. At first, it was named Girl with a Turban but later renamed in the latter half of the twentieth century. Now, the painting is also described as the "Mona Lisa of the North" or "the Dutch Mona Lisa".

Unfortunately, not much is known about Johannes Vermeer. Today, there are still no confirmed images of Vermeer himself. Just like how we know Michelangelo Caravaggio's life through his police records, there is some information on Vermeer through legal documents. It is known that Vermeer married Catharine Bolenes, a girl raised in a Catholic family. He then proceeded to convert to Catholicism for his mother in law. Due to his conversion to Catholicism in 1653, Vermeer incorporated religious symbolism in his paintings. For example, in Woman Holding a Balance (c. 1664), the Last Judgment is depicted in the background of the painting. However, there doesn't seem to be any religious symbolism present in the Girl with a Pearl Earring. Vermeer was a painter of light and was an avid fan of the camera obscura. By using the camera obscura, it intensified the reflective surfaces of the pearl earring, her eyes, and lips. In Dutch traditions, using a black background helped to make the focus of the painting three-dimensional and Vermeer used that technique quite a bit.

There is still a debate going on among people who the girl depicted is in this masterpiece. One of the theories on the identity of the girl is Vermeer's eldest daughter, Maria. When the painting was created, she would've been twelve, maybe thirteen years old at the time. Another speculation floating around is that the painting features a servant girl named Griet. However, there is no factual evidence behind this theory. It seemed to have formulated due to the fictionalization of Tracy Chevalier's novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring. It didn't help that there was also a movie featuring Scarlett Johansson fueling more people to believe this theory. Unfortunately, just like most world-renowned masterpieces, the Girl with a Pearl Earring is almost a complete mystery.

Throughout Europe, the Baroque was an art movement that was spreading rapidly. During this period, the Dutch was quite different compared to the other countries. Rather than being Catholic, the people of the Dutch Republic were Protestant. It was rare to have religious art in the northern Netherlands. Dutch art during the Baroque period focused more on genre scenes, portraits, still life, and landscapes. The Girl with a Pearl Earring was no exception to this. Vermeer mainly painted domestic interior scenes featuring women performing every day actions and portraits. Rather than being dramatic and loud like Italian, Spanish, and Flemish Baroque art, Dutch Baroque art was much more quieter and calm.

The Girl with a Pearl Earring was created in 1665 in Delft, a city that Vermeer was born in and spent a majority of his life there. At the time, in the 17th century, rather than all the art being made for the upper class, Dutch baroque art was largely intended for the middle class because that was the majority of the population. The art aimed towards the middle class reflected what the Dutch was known for: their tulips, high quality fabrics, etc. During the 17th century, the Dutch Republic was considered the booming nation of Europe with its excellent progress in European trade, art, and science. This period was known as the