Text Text 1hepaintingGirlwithaPearlEarringisoneofthegreatestworksbytheDutchpainterJohannesVermeer andoneofthebestlovedpaintingsintheworld Itshowsastrikingyoungwomanwearinganexoticcostumeandaturban peeringoverhershoulderstraightoutattheviewer Setagainstadarkandunspecifiedbackground oureyesaredrawntoherpearlearring thefocalpointofthepainting ThemysteryofGirlwithaPearlEarring T Butaftermorethanacenturyofstudy theworkposessomefascinatingquestions Whoistheyoungwoman Isthepaintingaportraitofarealperson orasitterrepresentingmoregeneralattributesofwomanhood Howoldisshemeanttobe Isthepearlreal What sthesignificanceoftheturban Whatisshethinkingasshestaresoutatus Text Text 2Ingeneral verylittleisknownaboutVermeer Weknowhewasbornin1632 spenthisentirelifeinDelft anddiedin1675 Weknowhisworkincludespaintingsofreligiousandmythologicalthemes domesticinteriorsandlandscapes Heneverseemstohavebeenwealthy perhapsbecauseheproducedrelativelyfewpaintings Hisotherwell knownworksincludeGirlReadingaLetteratanOpenWindow andWomanwithWaterJug Text 3WealsoknowthatalthoughhecamefromaProtestantfamily hemarriedaCatholicgirlCatharina whoinsistedthatheconverttoCatholicismbeforetheymarriedandhad14children 4AsfarastheGirlwithaPearlEarringisconcerned itseemsthatitwasn tmeanttobeaportrait butastudyofexpressions facialcharacteristicsorotherinterestingfeatures It struethatthegirl sfacewouldprobablynotbeconsideredbeautifulinaconventionalsense Ifithadbeenaportrait apainterwouldhaveworkedhardertoconveythesitter sbeauty evenifitmeantslightlydistortingthetruth ThiskindofstudywaspopularinHollandatthetime andwouldhavebeeneasytosell Text Wedon tknow however ifthispaintingwaseversoldduringVermeer slifetime Wedon tevenknowifitwascommissionedbyVermeer spatron vanRuijven Ifso themodelmighthavebeenoneofhisdaughterswhowasaboutthesameageasthesitter WeknowlessabouttheGirlwiththePearlEarringthananyofVermeer sworks Indeed theunexplainablelackofbackgroundinformationmayevencontributetotheworldwidepopularitythepaintingenjoys Text 5Withsomuchmystery thepaintinghasbeenthethemeoffirst anovelandlater afilm bothofwhichattempttoanswersomeofthequestionsaboutthepainting aswellasone whichisimmediatelymoreappropriatetothemediumofthenovelorthefilm Areherwideeyesandenigmatichalf smileinnocentorseductive Text 6TracyChevalier snovel publishedin1999 tellsusthestoryofGriet a16 year oldDutchgirlwhoneedstostartworkinordertosupportherfamily ShebecomesamaidinVermeer shousehold withitsfivechildren grandmother along timeservant andCatharina Vermeer svolatilewife WhileGrietgoesaboutherduties sheattractstheattentionnotonlyofabutcher sboy Pieter butalsoofthepainterhimself Despitetheirdifferentbackgroundsandclass heinvitesherintohisstudioandengagesherinhisworld Text 7AtfirstGrietmerelyrunserrandsandperformstasksforVermeer Butgradually hisrelationshipwithherchanges VermeerrecognizesGrietashavingvisualtalentandartisticpromise andtakesheronashisstudioassistant GrietiswaryofherpositionintheVermeerhouseholdbutrevelsinbeingencouragedtodevelopherskills Text HerroleistogrindpaintsanddevelopthecolourswhichVermeerwilluseforhispaintingsandwhenamodelfallsill shetakesherplace Catharinahaslongbeenforbiddentoenterthestudio sotheapprenticeshiptakesplaceinsecret GrietandVermeergrowcloser althoughtheirfeelingsareneverstatedexplicitly Text 8ButthenVermeer spatron thewealthyvanRuijven whoisattractedbyGriet insiststhatthemaidandhebethesubjectsofVermeer snextcommissionedwork GrietandVermeerarereluctanttoagreebecauseofherstrictmodestyandthescandalcausedbythelastoccasionvanRuijvenwaspaintedwithayoungwoman Eventually VermeercompromisesandagreestopaintGrietonherown wearingCatharina spearlearrings Butwhileheispaintingher VermeerseesGriet shair whichtakessomeofhermodestyawayand deeplyembarrassed sherunstoPieterforcomfort Text 9OnedayVermeer sdaughterdiscoversthatGriethasbeenmodellingforherfather andtellshermother Filledwithjealousy Catharinastormsintothestudioanddemandstoseethepainting GrietisembarrassedwhenVermeeraccusesCatharinaofnotunderstandingart anddecidestoleavetheVermeerhousehold Text 10TenyearslaterweunderstandthatGriethasmarriedPieter andhashadchildrenwithhim Inthemeantime Vermeerhasdiedandinhiswill haslefttheearringstoGriet ShesellsthemtosettlethedebtduetotheVermeersbythebutcher sshopwhenGrietandPietergotmarried Text 11TracyChevalier stalentwastobringtolifeformodernreadersthestoryofayoungwomaninasmallcitymanycenturiesago andaboveall tospeculateontheanswerstosomeofthequestionswhichthepaintingprovokes Text 12Thenovelwasabest seller andconsequentlywasmadeintoafilmofthesamenamein2003 VermeerwasplayedbyColinFirth andGrietbyScarlettJohannson ThefilmshowsveryeffectivelythetensionbetweenthetwowhenVermeerpiercesGriet searlobessoshecanwearhiswife spearlearringsfortheportraitcommissionedbyhispatron Itendswithascenenotdescribedinthenovel withthepearlearringsbeingmysteriouslydeliveredtoGriet andwe releftwonderingifsheevermarriesPieter Text 13ThepaintingcanbefoundintheMauritshuisMuseuminTheHague Holland Ithasbeendescribedast