The work of art I have selected for the discussion is Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, which I have reviewed on the website of Mauritshuis museum. When I saw the painting for the first time, it appeared quite simple, but my interest grew the more I observed Vermeer’s creation. In particular, I was impressed with how the artist managed to present the young woman’s gentleness while using relatively cold colors and tones. Interestingly, the girl’s earring, which is emphasized in the work’s title, is barely noticeable compared to her expression. The painting is difficult to look away from despite seeming not to be too intricate.
Girl with a Pearl Earring is naturalistic because the young woman’s facial features and clothes are depicted in a realistic way, and there is no element that is problematic to comprehend. One can argue that Vermeer chose such a style to emphasize the portrait over all other components, especially considering that the background is completely black. It seems that Vermeer may have wanted to exhibit personal and social functions. On the one hand, the painting forms a rather intimate connection between the viewer and the girl looking over her shoulder. On the other hand, the young woman’s turban may have a certain social context, for instance, to the period when Vermeer lived and created. Whether striving to focus on the girl’s soft appearance, her clothing, or the general lightning, Vermeer probably aimed to prioritize the person to make the audience ponder on the story behind the depicted individual. Although the artist used a single style of realistically portraying an unknown young woman, the technique establishes a close relationship between the observer and the artwork.