Baroque - Girl with a Pear Earring
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| Johannes Vermeer |
| The Artist Johannes Vermeer born in October 31, 1632 in Delft, Netherlands. He was a Dutch painter who was famous for his works of light, color and nobility. He only has 34 paintings that survived in its recorded history. Today the works by the artist Johannes Vermeer are recognized as the best in history and are found in the best museums in the world. Most of his paintings are found in ten cities in Europe: London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, The Hague, Frankfurt, Braunschweig, Berlin, and Dresden. Two of his paintings are located in the United States in New York City and Washington, DC and only one painting is located in Japan in the city of Tokyo. The Rise of the Merchant Class This painting is a good example of the rise of the merchant class during the Baroque Period. As the Northern European countries moved away from Catholicism, artists were now able to paint scenes besides religious themes. They had a new audience with the merchant class who had money to pay for portraits of their family members and other scenes that they could use to decorate their larger, more expensive homes. Without the wealth of the merchant class, the artists of this time, like Vermeer, would not have been able to keep painting and creating. The Elements The work “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” has the first element, which is light and shadow, which makes the painting have realism in the part of the face, so much so that it highlights the facial features of the painting. It also allows my eyes to see one place. We also cannot leave aside the famous luminous pearl earring. The second element is the color. The young woman's clothes have certain soft colors such as blue and yellow, also the skin tone. On the other hand, in one part of her costume, it has more neutral colors between the soft and the cold, which makes the painting have a certain depth and contrast. Finally, the element of the expression on his face has a part of mystery with her direct gaze, her lips slightly open, which catches my attention when I see the painting. Sometimes I am curious about the expression on her face.  I do not have a copy of this painting and neither do I have any of the works by Johannes Vermeer, but I would love to go to some of the museums to appreciate his works. The presentation of this wonderful work is medium in size, making it look unique. The story behind this painting is unknown, but the author Tracy Chevalier made up a fictional account behind the painting, about the young servant named Griet. Her master, Vermeer, told her to pose for the painting wearing the pearl of his dearest wife in her ear. The real story behind the Girl is a mystery. Some researchers think it may have been his daughter, but others believe she is a type of painting called a "tronie," a practice study of the head and shoulders of a person dressed in exotic clothing. The emotions I have when I see this work are a great feeling of beauty and tranquility in this painting, and the look of the super direct young girl gives me thoughts of mystery. On the other hand, the background part of the dark paint gives it that touch of illuminating the young girl face and obviously it is that shiny pearl that adds to the interest of the work. Works Cited Johannes Vermeer, https://www.johannesvermeer.org. Accessed 19 February 2025. The Rise of the Merchant Class, and its Influence for Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. tgordonart, https://tgordonart.wordpress.com/2014/10/05/the-rise-of-the-merchant-class-and-its-influence-for-vermeers-girl-with-a-pearl-earring/. Accessed 19 Febrero 2025. “Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring: Who was she?” BBC, 21 October 2014, https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20140701-who-was-the-mysterious-girl. Accessed 19 February 2025. |
Nice selection for the Baroque blog. I find the Girl with a Pearl Earring very appealing. I did a little research on the painting and thought it was interesting that this painting is referred to as the Mona Lisa of the North because of the similarity in the eyes that seem to follow the viewer. This is also a nice choice for the Baroque period in that the subject is wearing rich fabrics and there is the light and dark contrast to highlight the girl’s features. Both of these techniques are elements related to this period. Vermeer’s painting techniques are spectacular. I would hang this picture in my house!
ReplyDelete1) What Appeals or Doesn't Appeal
ReplyDeleteYour discussion of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring effectively highlights the painting’s visual elements, particularly light, shadow, and color. I appreciate your breakdown of how these elements contribute to realism and depth. Your mention of the mystery surrounding the girl’s identity adds an engaging narrative element. However, some sections could benefit from clearer sentence structure and grammatical refinement to enhance readability. For example, the phrase “which makes the painting have realism in the part of the face” could be reworded for clarity, such as “which enhances the painting’s realism, particularly in the depiction of the face.”
2) Commentary on the Relationship to the Theme
Your exploration of the rise of the merchant class as a new audience for artists is well stated and connects effectively to the broader theme of art during the Baroque period. The discussion of how Northern European artists moved away from strictly religious themes due to changing economic and social structures is an important point. To strengthen this argument, you could briefly compare Vermeer’s patronage system with that of religious commissions in Catholic regions, emphasizing how economic shifts influenced artistic production.
3) Additional Commentary – Adding to the Learning
To expand on your discussion, you might consider including more details on Vermeer’s use of optical techniques, such as his possible use of the camera obscura to achieve such remarkable light effects. Additionally, mentioning how Vermeer’s works compare to other Dutch Golden Age painters, like Rembrandt or Frans Hals, could provide further insight into the artistic trends of the time. This would help contextualize Girl with a Pearl Earring beyond just Vermeer’s personal style.
4) Formatting and Final Thoughts
Your citations are well-placed, but it would be helpful to make sure they follow a consistent academic format, such as MLA or Chicago style. Refining sentence flow and ensuring grammatical accuracy would make your analysis even stronger. Overall, your piece is an insightful and engaging discussion of Vermeer’s work, successfully capturing its artistic significance and historical context.
I love this painting. There was a replica of it painted on a building I used to walk past often in Japan and I remember hearing about the time it was toured. I agree that the highly contrasted background makes her stand out and adds more realism. The bright light coming off of her makes her feel like she's really standing out and not a painting. It's very interesting how this painting may not have existed without the rise of the merchant class. A world where common people are not able to appreciate and buy art would be so awful. If artists weren't able to support themselves, it would be a very different world that we live in.
ReplyDelete