Analysis of the Picture Girl with Pearl Earring Created by Johannes Vermeer - Essay Example

Girl with Pearl Earring The picture “Girl with pearl earring” created by Johannes Vermeer inspires me. It is often called the northern or the Dutch Mona Lisa, maybe these names mean that the picture created by Vermeer is just as mystique as the masterpiece created by DaVinchi. Nevertheless, it is a unique work of art with the internal charm and it seems that there is some riddle was blended with the paints and put in the girl’s eyes with a help of a brush. The thin and soft dabs, the dark background and the light on the girl’s face make this picture so realistic.

Also I have to say that this very picture made a great influence on my artistic taste. I’ve heard about this work of art earlier, but I have never thought about it as the great masterpiece. About a year ago, I read an article, about the most significant pictures of the world and found out that “Girl with pearl earring” was one of them. I thought that it might be a really good picture, as the filmmakers even created a movie, which showed the audience the history of its creation. A few months later, my friend invited me to attend a local art gallery and I agreed.

Going around the boring representations of nature and abstract figures, which meaning I could not understand, I ran against one reproduction, which attracted my attention and it was “Girl with pearl earring”. I came closer to it in order to analyze it in greater details. A few minutes I stood calmly looking at the elements of the picture, trying to figure out of what everyone found so special about it. Dark ground, light face’s shades and the most important - sad, but a mystique look of the girl, which hid some kind of a secret.

I looked attentively on the main heroine of the picture. Who was she? Where was she from? Why did she look so sad? What is her history? On my way home, I noticed that I thought over these questions, trying to answer them. At home I decided to search for this information in the internet. However, there was very little data about it. It is not known whether the author wrote it for himself or somebody else. According to one of the versions, the artist depicted his own daughter Mary. In any case, it is clear that this is an unusual portrait.

The artist tried to capture the moment when a girl turns her head towards the viewer to someone whom she had just noticed. Much attention is focused on the girls’ pearl earring. The picture was painted by means of oil. The author used an unusual technique “tronie”, which was typical for the XVII century. It was revealed through the expression by the author of the particular part of human body. For example, the author painted the head of the person instead of the full portrait. In one of the articles, I found out that some critics call “Girl with pearl earring” as “the Northern Mona Liza”.

Comparing these two pictures, I noticed many similar features. The outlook of the women, represented on them contained intimacy and silent obedience. I liked the look of the pictures, but the thing I adore is the master’s technique, applied in the creation of the portrait. The clearness of the lines, the representation of personal feelings of the girl, the shift of shadows from the darkest on the background, to the lightest on the girl’s face. The picture is definitely worth of such recognition throughout the world.

In conclusion of this article, it is important to state that the things, which make us feel inspired about them, are not revealed in their external features, but caused by the values and internal structure of the objects.