Girl with a Pearl Earring

by Johannes Vermeer

       "The Girl with One Pearl Earring " by Johannes Vermeer dates from the late 17th century.  Vermeer was Dutch so we must assume the girl in the painting is also Dutch.  The face of the girl takes up the entire composition with a focus, of course, on the one pearrl earring.  There is only one because of the angle of the face, only one can be seen.  The girl herself is very young, innocent in appearance and lovely.  The coloring of the face and the wonderful headdress and the little bit one can see of her clothing is artistry in its own right.  The rather deep blue of the headress and the dark bronze color of the clothing offer great contrast to the delicacy of the girl's face, punctuated by that opalescent pearl earring.  This painting has been the subject of literary works and recently a film imagining the life of such a girl in 17th century Holland.

Review posted by: Tigertail  

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