The Girl With A Pearl Earring ~ Jan Vermeer

Location : Mauritshuis, The Hague, the Netherlands
Year: c.1660 - 1665 Oil on Canvas - 19" x 16" (47 x 40 cm)
I've liked this painting since I was a child, from my Cambridge English Book. I thought it was unique, the way the girl posed. And then, Tracy Chevalier made a fiction novel about it, I like the story and I like the painting more and more. They made the movie, but I think it's awful. The painting is a characteristic of Vermeer's later, more mature style. It is thought that the girl in the painting in Vermeer's youngest daughter, Maria. However, this is often disputed because the girl's age and the probable date of the painting do not match. The girl wears a piece of cloth over her head, which is assumed to be part of a Turkish costume that was found among Vermeer's possessions after his death. Beautiful and gentle, the young girl glances innocently over her shoulder to catch the eyes of the viewer. Her pearl earring beautifully reflects the light in the room.