Reading B Girl with a Pearl Earring

Girl with a Pearl Earring was originally titled “Girl with a Turban” and it was not until the second half of the twentieth century that the name was changed. Regarded as Vermeer's masterpiece, this canvas is often referred to as the Mona Lisa of the North or the Dutch Mona Lisa.

Theme

The girl in this painting is believed to be Vermeer's eldest daughter, Maria, who was about twelve or thirteen years old at the time it was created. Her facial features appear in several of Vermeer's works but his various techniques on his subject make it difficult to compare the female faces in his paintings, as the women are portrayed in different lighting conditions and poses.

There is very little information about Vermeer and his paintings. Girl with a Pearl Earring is signed “IVMeer” but there is no date on this work. It remains unknown that whether or not this canvas was commissioned and if so, by whom. It is more likely that this image was a tronie, Dutch 17th-century description of a “head” painting that was not intended as a portrait.

Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of over forty images of women created by Vermeer and thus it is obvious that he had a keen interest in women's socio-cultural roles. It could be argued that he valued their role in maintaining his idealist way of life by ensuring order within the household and raising children within Christian values. Therefore, women played a pivotal role in safeguarding tradition and moral values through the generations.

Vermeer depicted his women in thought-provoking stillness and also as encouraging images that inspired homogeny.

With this painting viewers are captured by the subject and believe they have caught her attention and cause her to turn her head. this is a sensual painting with the girl gazing at the viewer with wide eyes and a parted mouth and there is an air of mystery surrounding her identity.

In 1994 this canvas was restored which involved removing the yellowed varnish along with the retouches that had been made during previous restorations. This resulted in the vivid colors originally used by Vermeer shining through and the intimacy of the girl's gaze was also greatly enhanced.

Clothing

The turban the girl wore was a popular prop at the time and its elaborate folds and rich materials were great ways of showing off the artists' skill. The turban also demonstrates the influence of other countries as various slaves came to the Netherlands and explorers would bring back new exotic artifacts and inventions.

Vermeer's intense use of his signature ultramarine can be clearly seen in this work. It is not only used on the top of the turban but also on the neck and end of the fabric hanging down the sitter's back.

Vermeer uses his palette to the fullest and his skill in painting creates an intense volume that has a three-dimensional effect. He uses a unique blend of creamier tones and pigments for the girl's skin so it has a sort of glowing effect in the light and striking contrasts with the background.

Red and brown ochres are used to define shadows on the girl's skin to create depth and definition as the light source comes from the left frontal area. this also helps to accentuate the facial features and make them as real as possible.

Vermeer uses the Dutch custom of a dark background which allows the artists to create a three-dimensional effect of the highlighted subject. Dark backgrounds enable the artists to be more flexible in their technique and give them the freedom to play with various contrasts of lighting. Art historians have discovered that Vermeer used a green ochre tone as an undercoat in this painting which helped bring out the vibrant colors of the figure.

Use of light

The use of the camera obscura in this work enhances the lighting in the room and helps define starker shadows in the foreground. Vermeer used a sort of white-based lead undercoat for the subject which produced an intense shine in the finished result.

The camera also dramatizes the reflective surfaces such as the pearl earring, the subject's eyes and lips in stark contrasts that intensify their gleam.

Brush work

Vermeer uses many smooth brushstrokes in this work to create a clear-cut image defined by light and shadow. He also uses these fine strokes to characterize the clothing and skin texture. the strokes are linear and have strong definition.

The undercoating of the girl's dress helps create depth and a realistic interpretation of the actual material.

The final layer in the work is applied very thinly; this is possibly done to add movement as the light moves across the delicate material.

The turban is accentuated with Vermeer's trademark highlights. the pearl is also distinct in that it consists of just two brushstrokes. Dutch Baroque has become the most noted era in art and it was the most lavish style in the history of Europe's figurative arts. Artists were able to freely choose their subject matter and how they wanted to express it and this resulted in artist excelling in creating new art styles and techniques.

Art period

Baroque art came into play at a time when the foundations of capitalism were being laid by the world's growing economies and art was expanding in new and exciting directions.

New national schools were opening across Europe but there was already a dominant style, spearheaded by great masters, such as Caravaggio, Poussin, Bernini and Rubens who provided inspiration for many emerging artists.

Vermeer was an idealist who strived to bring out the beauty in the most mundane aspects of daily life and his unique skill made him a leader and revolutionary of the Baroque era.

● Vocabulary Challenge

Complete each of the sentences with an appropriate form of the words given.

(1) original

A. the trunk is of unknown_____ .

B. If I hurt your feelings, it was not my_____intention.

(2) involve

A. Any investment _____an element of risk.

B. Peace and stability in the world need the active _____of China.

(3) mystery

A. the source of the gunshots still remains a _____.

B. She also acknowledges that many people find her smile _____.

(4) intense

A. the _____exams are over, so it's time for us to relax.

B. the _____of the work left little room for personal grief or anxiety.

(5) define

A. To give a _____of a word is more difficult than to give an illustration of its use.

B. the term “mental illness” is difficult to _____.

(6) apply

A. the new technology has been_____ to farming.

B. His _____for membership of the organization was rejected.

(7) distinct

A. there are obvious _____between the two wine-making areas.

B. His voice was quiet but every word was_____ .

(8) excel

A. Luckily, Sue is very efficient and does an_____ job as Fred's personal assistant.

B. He almost burst with pride when his son John began to _____at football.

(9) dominate

A. the book is expected to_____ the best-seller list.

B. Paris has played a _____role in France, not just in political terms but also in economic power.

(10) inspire

A. Many poets and artists have drawn their_____ from nature.

B. Surround yourself with good people who love you and _____you.

● Comprehension Check

1. Each of the following ten statements contains information given in one of the paragraphs (1-21) in the text. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once.

_____(A)After the canvas was repaired, the color Vermeer applied in the first place was revealed, and it promoted the effect of the girl's gaze.

_____(B)Women's socio-cultural roles intrigued Vermeer so much that he created dozens of images of women.

_____(C)Vermeer's one-of-a-kind techniques in presenting the beauty through ordinary subjects made him a pioneer of Baroque era.

_____(D) Little is known about Vermeer and his paintings.

(E) As one of Vermeer's greatest works, Girl with a Pearl Earring can be comparable with Mona Lisa.

_____(F) the way the girl is portrayed in the painting leaves viewers wonder who she is.

_____(G)Due to the growth of world's economies, art was developing and exploring new styles, which gave rise to Baroque art.

_____(H)Known as the most distinguished period in art, Dutch Baroque was extravagant in its style among Europe's figurative arts.

_____(I)the turban caught on at the time because it was brought back by the explorers then as foreign handicraft.

_____(J)Vermeer's painting skills are so diverse that it is not easy to compare the women's faces in his works.

2. Match the painting skills Vermeer used in Column A with the effect they achieved in Column B.