Dutch Golden Age · c. 1665
Girl with a Pearl Earring
A young figure turns toward us against a dark field. One bright earring and a half-open mouth make the moment feel unfinished.
- Made
- c. 1665
- Style
- Dutch Golden Age
- Collection
- Mauritshuis, The Hague
From museum to game table
The in-game crop
The card adds paint spaces, rewards and a frame. This crop shows the artwork area used during play, without the card rails.
The short history
What happened here?
This is a tronie, not a formal portrait. Dutch artists used tronies to study a face, expression or unusual costume. The sitter's identity was never the point.
Vermeer built the image from broad, clear shapes. The blue and yellow head covering feels exotic rather than documentary. The earring is only a few pale strokes, with no hard outline or visible hook.
The painting entered the Mauritshuis in 1903 after a collector bought it at auction in 1881. Cleaning restored its cool color and direct gaze. Modern research has revealed eyelashes, a green curtain and tiny changes beneath the surface.
Look closer
Three details worth finding
- 1The wet highlight at the corner of the mouth
- 2Soft edges where the face meets shadow
- 3The pearl suggested by light rather than detail
Sources
Read further
Museum records come first. Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons provide useful public background and image records.