In the 17th century, the Netherlands experienced a period of artistic prosperity known as the Dutch Golden Age. During this period, artists found inspiration in Northern Renaissance painting techniques, contributing to masterpieces like Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer. Known as the "Mona Lisa of the North", this painting represents the best of Dutch art and it has become one of the most beloved paintings in art history.
Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer is famous for his paintings of contemporary Delft, a city in Holland where the artist was born, lived and died. Girl with a Pearl Earring is Vermeer's most well-known work of art. However, it did not attain international fame at its time of completion. That came about at the end of the 20th century, when it was featured in a special exhibition in Washington, D. C.
Girl with a Pearl Earring does not show a specific person. Instead, it shows an unknown girl dressed in grand clothing, who is "like a vision coming from the darkness "and" belongs to no specific time or place", art historian Arthur K. Wheelock explained.
Vermeer is known for his ability to create shapes and forms using light rather than lines. This characteristic approach is particularly evident in Girl with a Pearl Earring. First, he would "invent", or create an initial drawing on the canvas. Then, he made a single colored underpainting (底层色). Next, he added color. And, finally, in order to make the piece extraordinarily bright, he would apply a thin layer of glaze (釉)to certain parts of the painting.
In addition to its fascinating context and appealing beauty, the piece is celebrated for the mystery that surrounds it. "When you think about Mona Lisa, she is also looking at us, but she isn't engaging—she's sitting back in the painting, self-contained, "Tracy Chevalier, the author of The New York Times' best-selling historical novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring, points out. "While the girl with a pearl earring in the painting is right there—there is nothing between her and us. She has this magical quality of being incredibly open and yet mysterious at the same time—and that is what makes her so appealing."
