Girl with a Pearl Earring - Johannes Vermeer
It is easy to see why this compelling image has become Johannes Vermeer's most admired work. It captures the viewer's attention with delicately pearlescent light effects and the insistent gaze of the model, assumed to be Maria, the artist's eldest daughter. The treatment of the background of the work contrasts with the clear, rich and colorful background that Vermeer usually offers in his portraits. This choice helps to break up Vermeer's two favorite colors: the ultramarine blue of the turban and the lemon yellow of the fabric above it.
The artwork in a nutshell
It is easy to see why this compelling image has become Johannes Vermeer's most admired work. It captures the viewer's attention with delicately pearlescent light effects and the insistent gaze of the model, assumed to be Maria, the artist's eldest daughter. The treatment of the background of the work contrasts with the clear, rich and colorful background that Vermeer usually offers in his portraits. This choice helps to break up Vermeer's two favorite colors: the ultramarine blue of the turban and the lemon yellow of the fabric above it.
The artist
Compare with the original
Reproduction of Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

