Girl with a Pearl Earring (painting)



The 1665 painting Girl with a Pearl Earring (Dutch: Het Meisje met de Parel) is one of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer's masterworks. As the name implies, it uses a pearl earring for a focal point. The painting is in The Mauritshuis museum in The Hague. It is sometimes referred to as "The Dutch Mona Lisa". Created in 1665, it is one of a handful of Vermeer's works that have survived. In 1994, it underwent a restoration, which brought out many subtle colors and overtones. Vermeer was known to use expensive pigments in his paintings, and ultimately died in debt.

The painting has been subject to many Shout-Outs, including novels, an opera and even Total Drama World Tour.


 * Art Imitates Art: In Cycle 5 of America's Next Top Model, when there were five contestants left, the challenge was to recreate a classic work of art, one of which was the painting.
 * Person with the Clothing
 * What Beautiful Eyes!: One of the most striking features of the painting, they are played up as a plot point in the works based on it.