Painting: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Location: Mauritshuis Museum, Netherlands
During the mid-17th century, the Dutch Republic became increasingly prosperous due to trade routes established during the Eighty Years’ War. As a result, Amsterdam grew into a significant trading centre where merchants imported goods from all around Europe. In addition, the city attracted migrants from across the continent, including painters, musicians, poets, sculptors, architects, jewellers, and more.
Be it art, science, or literature, the concurrent socio-economic and political background of a time or place have a lot to contribute to the growth of it. The new arrivals brought their indigenous styles and traditions and set the foundations for a period in history known as the Dutch Golden Age.
A mix of economic, cultural and historical incidents happening at the same time led to this remarkable evolution in the Dutch style of painting. The Dutch Renaissance was born, infusing Dutch cultural sensitivities with the artistic aesthetics of the Italian Renaissance.
As part of the Flemish tradition, early Netherlandish painters had already been inspired by Italian masters like Raphael and Michelangelo. They had incorporated elements of these works into their compositions, but they did so through unique interpretations. For example, the Rubenists led by Peter Paul Rubens created large canvases filled with dramatic chiaroscuro lighting effects. Contemporaries like Jacob Jordaens and Adriaen Brouwer espoused bright colours blended with strong contrasts reminiscent of the influence of Caravaggio, whose style emphasised movement and drama.
As a result, much before Vermeer came along, Dutch artists had already begun experimenting with different techniques. The most famous among them being Johannes Lingelbach, an engraver known for his etching skills. Another important name in art circles was that of Cornelis Cort. Like Vermeer, he painted oil canvases depicting everyday subjects. Unlike Vermeer, though, Cort’s art lacked subtlety, instead emphasising on technicality.
In contrast, when Vermeer burst into the scene, he decided to focus on realism rather than illusionism. Although he often included figurative portraits in his scenes, he avoided creating optical illusions, instead preferring to concentrate on capturing naturalistic details.
A new genre of still life painting was born, and it was within this genre that Vermeer created one of his most celebrated works, the “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Using techniques similar to those used in the Northern Renaissance, “Girl with a Pearl Earring” went on to define Vermeer’s legacy. So much so, that it came to be known as “The Mona Lisa of the North” — a direct reference to Leonardo’s Mona Lisa in terms of global appeal, enigma and fame.
Vermeer painted this masterpiece between 1665 and 1668 when he was approximately 30 years old. Like most paintings of that age, the exact date of creation is a matter of intense scholarly debate.
The oil on canvas painting depicts an unknown young woman wearing a pearl earring that rests upon her left shoulder while she intently looks askew at something off-canvas to her left. It’s like her eyes are responding to someone beyond the canvas.
A moment frozen in time, for perpetuity.
Vermeer often used chiaroscuro to create a sense of three-dimensional modelling, which is evident here. His ability to use light, to model shapes and contours was masterful. He would prepare an initial drawing on the canvas. Then, he would construct a monochromatic underpainting which was called the ‘dead’ colour. This was a technique employed in classical painting, before using actual ‘live’ colours” to embellish it . And finally, he would apply a thin layer of glaze or turpentine to increase the painting’s luminosity.
Recent restorations of his old works have revealed that Vermeer originally glazed two areas of the “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, the blue part of her turban and the entire background — which would otherwise have been green.
Another aspect which makes this painting so unique, is Vermeer’s use of colour, primarily the shade of “ultramarine blue” derived from the pigment lapis lazuli — a luminous blue mineral mined in the faraway lands of Afghanistan and brought by traders to the shores of Europe. This shade wasn’t used in most European oil paintings of that time, which makes Vermeer’s use of it stand out.
While it’s most prominent in the band of her turban, it’s also evident in the shadows of the yellow fabric, illustrating Vermeer’s love and unorthodox use of this colour. It is further embellished by his ability to illuminate the subject by creating unseen light sources from above and below.
All these techniques combine to give the painting an ethereal character, and technical brilliance. But what makes it iconic and embedded in popular mass appeal is the age-old curiosity surrounding all hauntingly mesmerising portraits- its identity.
The woman in the painting and her relationship with Vermeer has been a subject of intense debate and curiosity in art circles for about 350 years, adding to its fame. Umpteen theories have been proposed and debunked, thereby adding to the mystery of the debate.
Some believe the model could have been Mary Beghtol, daughter of painter Pieter de Hooch. Others believe the figure represents Maria Thinshull, wife of merchant Henry Thinshull. Still others speculate that the model could have been Anna van Schothorst, sister of Jan Steen, another stalwart of the Dutch Renaissance.
The most incredible claim though, is that the woman in the painting is Vermeer’s daughter. There has been speculation in certain circles that the woman bears a resemblance to other female figures in Vermeer’s works, suggesting that the same model — possibly his daughter — was used in many of them.
However, there is no iron clad proof and as such the identity of the model remains a mystery even today.
The other aspect that has intensely intrigued viewers and critics alike over the years, is the lack of a discernible expression or emotion on the woman’s face. It’s as if Vermeer was more interested in capturing a candid camera moment akin to a photograph, than an artistic pose, more reflective of the Dutch Renaissance. And while, on the surface, this depiction seems to have the classic characteristics of a portrait, it is a tronie. An unfinished sketch modelled for final composition. A work of art not focused on the subject but the painter himself. A declaration of his style.
The painting distinctly makes you feel like there is something more that is about to happen, but is deliberately left unfinished and unrepresented for reasons unknown.
When you see the “Mona Lisa” you feel she is aloof, mysterious and removed, but when you see the “Girl with a Pearl Earring” it feels like she is about to break the silence and speak — and therein lies its undying appeal.
Vermeer’s works are considered masterpieces not only because of their realism but also because of how they capture human emotion. Although his portraits show us ordinary women dressed in everyday clothes, they effusively convey sadness, joy, love, anger, and fear. Most of Vermeer’s 35 published portraits depict women in states of motion, doing something while transmitting a strong sense of emotion, central to the experience.
“The Girl with a Pearl Earring”, leaves you searching for this emotion, long after you have left the gallery. You cannot put your finger to it, though you can feel the emotion behind it.
They say art is timeless, and there are few examples in art that make you realise this adage, than this masterpiece by Vermeer . For hundreds of years, millions of people, artists, critics and scholars have debated and marvelled at the mystery , meaning and beauty of this painting.
Movies have been made. Books have been written.
But I would say modern pop culture’s ultimate tribute to this classic is Banksy’s recreation titled “Girl with a Pierced Eardrum”. A classic Banksy, it is a graffiti on an obscure wall of an unknown house somewhere in Bristol. The resemblance is uncanny and it makes you wonder what would have happened, had Banksy been born during the Renaissance and used oil as his medium, but the humour and satire reigns you in.
The woman, instead of pearl earrings has a security alarm hanging from her earlobes, a sign of the times and Banksy’s penchant for meshing the urbanist view of pop art into one of the iconic artworks of all time.
About Me:
In my day job I drive growth at Google. Ex @ Adobe, SAP, LinkedIn and IBM
We all build diverse interests in hacking through life.Here, I write occasional essays on investment, self improvement, market trends, venture capital, growth, art, music and occasional football. Follow me on twitter @hackrlife or on my substack here.
If you are interested in books and historical letters check out the Quotatist.
