For Walter Liedtke, the gallery's curator of European paintings, the success of [the exhibition] was due, at least in part, to Chevalier's novel."[18]. Why did he paint her? And around the world in Japan, in the United States, in Italy everybody has the same reaction: you can see them trying to fill in the story., The image works because it is unresolved, agrees Tracy Chevalier, whose novel about the painting has sold more than three million copies. In that way shes very modern. "[27] Firth was also outfitted simply, as Vermeer was not rich. Girl with a Pearl Earring - Johannes Vermeer - Google Arts & Culture Johannes Vermeer's The Girl with The Pearl Earring, otherwise known as The "Mona Lisa of the North" - one of the most famous and mysterious marvels of the art world - is back in the US for the . [30], Some of the first literary treatments of the painting were in poems. [6][11] She stipulated that their adaptation avoid having the main characters consummate their relationship. Johannes Vermeer was the master of light. In the strictly stratified society of the time, this is a fall in status because of the bad reputation that maids have for stealing, spying and sleeping with their employers. Despite praising its visuals, Abeel criticized Girl with a Pearl Earring for being "a chick flick dressed up in Old Master clothes" and for failing "to render Griet's growing artistic sensibility dramatically credible". No, it hasn't been misattributed, and no, it's not a fake. But according to Dutch art historian Pieter. It also resulted in the withdrawal of Mike Newell as director and Ralph Fiennes as Vermeer; Fiennes left the project to work on his 2002 film Maid in Manhattan. Girl with the pearl earring | Mauritshuis [20] Laura M. Sager Eidt, in her book Writing and Filming the Painting: Ekphrasis in Literature and Film, asserts that the film deviates significantly from the source material and emphasises a "socio-political dimension that is subtler in the novel". [12] Only a few exterior shots were filmed in Delft. Griet works diligently and almost wordlessly in the lowest position of a harsh hierarchy. Peter Webber has signed on to direct the wartime thriller "Irena Sendler.". Nicknamed the " Mona Lisa of the North ",the Girl with a Pearl Earring, is one of the masterpieces by famed Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. As Gordenker explains: There is something interesting about this painting: it reproduces extremely well. [40], A climate protestor representing the Just Stop Oil campaign attempted to glue his head to the glass protecting the painting in October 2022, and was covered in tomato soup by another protestor. [50] In North America it was distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment. [27] Pearls, in fact, figure in 21 of Vermeer's pictures,[28] including very prominently in Woman with a Pearl Necklace. Van Ruijven and other characters assume she is sexually available simply because she is an unchaperoned maid. [57], "In paring the novel down, he's taken the fire out of the fusion of art and eroticism which powers Griet's and Vermeer's feeling for one another. This takes up much of her time, and Griet arouses the suspicions of Catharina, but Vermeer's mother-in-law, Maria Thins, recognizes Griet's presence as a steadying and catalyzing force in Vermeer's career and connives at the domestic arrangements that allow her to devote more time to his service. Pearl Girls wear silver dresses, white hats, and fake pearls, and carry silver backpacks. You come away soothed by its beauty. [22] Van Ruijven's wife (Maria de Knuijt) later models for A Lady Writing a Letter. no 670. The novel was published in Britain in 1999 and a year later in the United States, where it became a New York Times bestseller. [26], In desiring to avoid stereotypes of the costume drama, Webber costumed his actors in simple outfits he termed "period Prada", rather than use the ruffles and baggy costumes common for the era. Girl with a Pearl Earring | The Frick Collection Tronies depict a certain type or character; in this case a girl in exotic dress, wearing an oriental turban and an improbably large pearl in her ear. 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring' has gained far more exposure than the 'Mona Lisa' ever has. Once nicknamed the sphinx of Delft, his native town which he never left, he produced little only around three dozen paintings are today agreed to be by him. He is recognised as a master of light who specialised in painting women in sparse domestic interiors, and his pictures are prized in part because they are often suffused with mystery. And we live in an age of reproduction. [10][11], On the advice of Victor de Stuers, who for years tried to prevent Vermeer's rare works from being sold to parties abroad, Arnoldus Andries des Tombe purchased the work at an auction in The Hague in 1881, for only two guilders plus thirty cents buyer's premium (around 24 at current purchasing power[12]). Later, when Catharina is out for the day, her mother hands Griet her daughter's pearl earrings and asks Vermeer to finish the painting. 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' targeted with glue and liquid by climate "[41] She focused the story on the relationship between Griet and Vermeer, deciding what other storylines were "distracting and had to be jettisoned. Tronies depict a certain. For the past two years, Vermeers masterpiece has been travelling the world, visiting Tokyo, Kobe, San Francisco, New York, Atlanta and Bologna as part of a touring exhibition showcasing the holdings of the Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery in The Hague, where the picture has been part of the permanent collection since 1903. Webber explained, "He had a sense of restraint and a sense of lyricism that I liked. [18] Characterising it as a "coming of age" story with a "fascinating dark undertow",[8] Webber deliberately did not read the book prior to filming, as he was concerned about being influenced by it, opting instead to rely on the script and the period. The two make love in a barn. The Girl with a Pearl Earring, Jan Vermeer's most famous painting, is often called the 'Dutch Mona Lisa'.The comparison to Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa (ca. In the course of the title story, a Dutch art dealer sells Vermeers painting to an eccentric Dane in the year 1658. While it is possible that someone modelled for it, Gordenker says, just as Rubens often painted figures who looked like his wife, it isnt meant to be a specific person, but someone more generalised, timeless and mysterious perhaps a sibyl or a figure from the Bible. Moreover, according to one theory, the impossible pearl, which is too big to be worn in reality, was meant to be understood as a piece of costume jewellery so adding to the general atmosphere of artifice and make-believe. Without it, for all Webber's fetish for exquisite detail, it's a strangely remote experience. A shrewd, watchful woman with a sound head for business, she separated from her own abusive husband long before her daughter married the painter. She wears a voluptuous blue and yellow turban on her head, while an improbably plump pearl hangs from her earlobe. Besides that, he never had an apprentice as many artists have had, so theres isnt really a school of Vermeer. The turning point was the blockbuster Vermeer exhibition that opened at the National Gallery of Art in Washington in 1995. The production of Girl with a Pearl Earring began in 1999, when screenwriter Olivia Hetreed gained access to Tracy Chevalier's novel Girl with a Pearl Earring shortly before its publication in August. He is considered among the greatest artists of his age. Hudson withdrew shortly before filming began, however, and the film was placed in hiatus until the hire of Webber, who re-initiated the casting process. Des Tombe had no heirs and by a bequest donated this and other paintings to the Mauritshuis in 1902. And why has she been so successful at capturing our hearts? The mysterious young woman, ethereally beautiful, her large pearl earring catching light from the left, is otherwise in darkness. It is not a portrait, but a 'tronie' - a painting of an imaginary figure. It hauntingly engages the viewer with enhanced realism, showcasing the electrifying gaze of a young girl adorned with a blue and gold turban. Girl with the Pearl Earring (c. 1665) by Johannes Vermeer is one of the most famous paintings in the world. Print May 21, 2004, 7:16 PM . Apart from Girl with a Pearl Earring itself, in which Griet is the sitter, several more of Vermeers paintings feature in Chevalier's novel. [34] Desplat created a melody that recurs throughout the film, stating in a later interview that "it evolves and it's much more flowing with a very gentle theme that's haunting". [8], Webber hired Ben van Os as his production designer because "he wasn't intimidated by the period obligations. Famously, Vermeer created the illusion of the pearl against a patch of dark grey with just two bravura white brushstrokes: a bright highlight on the front, capturing light coming in from the window, and a subtler one lower down, showing the reflection of the girls collar. 1504) makes sense: both paintings share an air of mystery, from the model's enigmatic gaze to the speculations surrounding the identities of the women in the paintings. With Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt. [24] It may later have been the work appearing in the catalogue to a 1696 sale of painting in Amsterdam, where it is described as a "Portrait in Antique Costume, uncommonly artistic" (Een Tronie in Antique Klederen, ongemeen konstig). [18] The director also made a conscious effort to slow the pace of the film, hoping that by "slowing things down [we could] create these moments in between the dialogue that were full of emotion. It was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film in 2003 starring Scarlett Johansson . She began to think of "the story behind that look, imagining it as directed at the painter. It depicts a European girl wearing "exotic dress", an "oriental turban", and what appears to be a very large pearl as an earring. Set in 17th-century Delft, Holland, the novel was inspired by local painter Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. When Girl with . Initially, the production was to feature Kate Hudson as Griet with Mike Newell directing. Vermeer discovers that Griet has an eye for art and secretly asks her to run errands and perform tasks for him, such as mixing and grinding colors for his paints and acting as a substitute model. Griet describes the painting to her father and also witnesses its creation in closer detail now that she is helping in the studio. Now, two years later, the team unveils their new discoveries. Headscarf in Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' has 'blue pigment The curious thing, though, is that it hasnt always been this way. (44.5 x 39.0 cm) Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague. The book fashioned the painting's subject into a housemaid named Griet who works in Vermeer's home and becomes his paint mixer. The novel was adapted into a 2003 film of the same name and a 2008 play. Then, if this isnt the story, which is? Tensions heighten when she reacts in pain and Vermeer caresses her face. [35] The score, his career breakthrough, gained him international attention and garnered him further film projects. [33], There have also been three fictional appearances. Unlike some of his Dutch contemporaries, who crammed their compositions full of material objects and narrative detail, Vermeer got a kick out of teasing the viewer and withholding meaning. Vermeer, himself, is a shadowy figure in the history of art. Ethiopian American Awol Erizku recreated it as a print in 2009, centering a young black woman and replacing the pearl earring with bamboo earrings as a commentary on the lack of black figures in museums and galleries. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes calculated a 73% approval rating based on 179 reviews, with an average score of 6.90/10. Then, in 1903, Des Tombe left it to the Mauritshuis as a surprise in his will, Gordenker continues. For all the sunlight that shines into his studio, there's no air the sense of two people breathing easily in one another's company. What its known is that he was a famous artist in his small town of Delft in the Netherlands, but since most of his paintings were actually bought by his main patron to decorate his house, he didnt really have an international acknowledgment. She had something distinctive about her. [9] However, Publishers Weekly noted details that threaten to rob the narrative of its credibility. For one thing, who was she? [59] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [12], According to Webber, Girl with a Pearl Earring is "more than just a quaint little film about art" but is concerned with themes of money, sex, repression, obsession, power, and the human heart. But during the early months of her work at the Vermeers', Pieter, the son of the family butcher at the meat market, starts courting Griet. Lions Gate slowly increased its release to a peak of 402 cinemas by 6 February 2004. [16] Firth and Webber, both of a similar age and background, spent significant time discussing Vermeer's personality and lifestyle in the period leading up to the beginning of filming. "[17] Johansson seemed very modern to Webber, but he believed this was a positive attribute, realising "that what would work was to take this intelligent, zippy girl and repress all that". Scarlett Johansson stars as Griet, a young 17th-century servant in the household of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (played by Colin Firth) at the time he painted Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665) in the city of Delft in Holland. Her younger brother Frans is apprenticed outside and eventually her younger sister Agnes dies of the plague. Griet returns to her parents' home, stopping to stand once again at the compass on the bridge. Pearl Tv (TV Series 2012- ) - IMDb [10] While it is set in Delft, the film was primarily shot in Amsterdam, Belgium, and Luxembourg. [49], Girl With a Pearl Earring's world premiere occurred at the Telluride Film Festival on 31 August 2003. Catharina flies into a rage upon discovering Griet wore her earrings and storms into the studio, accusing her mother of complicity. In total, more than 2.2 million people around the world turned out to pay homage to Vermeers vision, who has been described as the Mona Lisa of the North. "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is dated 1665, and Maria was born in 1654, meaning she would have been just eleven years old at the time, which seems unlikely. Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 1999 historical novel written by Tracy Chevalier. [6][12], Hetreed worked closely with Tucker and Webber to adapt the book, explaining that "working with them on drafts helped me to concentrate on what the film would be, rather than how beautifully I could make a line work". [4] It was nominated for several fiction prizes, and won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award in 2000[5] and the 2001 Alex Award for books that have special appeal to young adults. [19], The casting of Griet was Webber's first major step, and led to interviews with 150 girls before Webber chose the 17-year-old actress Scarlett Johansson. [23] Van Ruijven himself, a sister and a daughter, figure in The Concert,[24] which is conceived of as a successor to The Music Lesson. It gets you to see the world through new which is to say, old eyes". Today it seems incredible that people failed to spot the quality of the picture. As a result, he was highly in debt and, according to his wife, all those pressures sickened him and caused his death. Naturally, he becomes very fond of her, but not in the cheesy and romantic way. Oil on canvas. However, the two organic pigments of the green glaze, indigo and weld, have faded. She demands Vermeer show her the commissioned portrait. More than that, actually discovering her identity would be taking that enigmatic essence that attracts millions of visitors every year or that inspires many to honor the painting. Girl with a Pearl Earring is Vermeer's most famous painting. Girl with a Pearl Earring, oil painting on canvas (c. 1665) by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, one of his most well-known works.It depicts an imaginary young woman in exotic dress and a very large pearl earring.The work permanently resides in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague.. An observant and deliberate painter, Vermeer produced only 36 known works in his lifetime, while many of his . In contrast, Vermeer's pragmatic mother-in-law, Maria Thins, sees Griet as useful to Vermeer's career. [36][37] The soundtrack was released in 2004;[34] it earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, helping increase Desplat's name recognition in Hollywood. Two years ago, an international team of scientists from various museums and institutions examined Vermeer's masterpiece in full public view. [6] She avoided using a voiceover, which was present in the novel, "partly because it would make it very literary". Composition. S Swivelling to her left, she. When Vermeer responds that she doesn't understand, she tries but fails to destroy the painting. Girl With a Pearl Earring Summary. Pearl Girls are a class of women in Gilead, and can be considered as a sub-class of Aunts. [6] Hetreed stayed in close contact with Chevalier, and the two became so close near the end of the production that they presented a Master class together on screenwriting. In the movie, when Vermeers patron sees her, he becomes extremely infatuated with her, to the point that he asks Vermeer if he can take her as his maid, which he refuses politely. A speck of bright moisture adorns the corner of her mouth, which is open as though she is about to speak. Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 1999 historical novel written by Tracy Chevalier. The uncertainty of her story is a key to its allure. Girl with a Pearl Earring | Film Review | Spirituality & Practice As he secretly works on the painting, Catharina notices something is amiss. Her mouth is open, which you dont see that much in Dutch paintings, so she seems as if she is about to talk to you. Girl with a Pearl Earring: Directed by Peter Webber. [28] But scarcity of evidence extends outside the Vermeer household as well. Im dying to know what shes going to say. She runs to Pieter for consolation and distraction from her thoughts of Vermeer. Hetreed read the novel before its publication, and her husband's production company convinced Chevalier to sell the film rights. Read about our approach to external linking. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [65] In Sight & Sound, David Jays wrote that "Johansson's marvellous performance builds on the complex innocence of her screen presence (Ghost World, Lost in Translation)". One such film is the little-remembered period drama Girl with a Pearl Earring. The Girl With a Pearl Earring: What Made It So Famous Another theme - that is demonstrated in the narration rather than commented on overtly - is how women of that time, in Lisa Fletcher's words, "did not own their bodies, but were the possessions first of their parents, then of their employers, and finally of their husbands. His piece is titled Girl with a Bamboo Earring. Back then Vermeers Girl was more wallflower than superstar. Her words, though, remain a mystery. Vermeer does not object. Her growing disdain for the maid becomes apparent, spurred on by Van Ruijven's deliberate suggestions of an improper relationship between Vermeer and Griet. It has been noted that its aim is to replicate Vermeer's style of painting. Johannes Vermeer Girl with a Pearl Earring | Mauritshuis She describes the girl's expression "to be a mass of contradictions: innocent yet experienced, joyous yet tearful, full of longing and yet full of loss." Create and share a new lesson based on this one. The fact that shes not really facing at the spectator or that her mouth is open, as if she were saying something, invites the spectator to fill in the blanks with their own imagination. Girl With a Pearl Earring Kindle Edition - amazon.com But the composition is also very clever. It is not a portrait, but a 'tronie' - a painting of an imaginary figure. Going by various names over the centuries, it became known by its present title towards the end of the 20th century after the earring worn by the girl portrayed there. The novel was adapted into a 2003 film of the same name and a 2008 play. The novel is a historical fiction inspired by the emblematic painting and the mysterious life of Vermeer, but theres actually no evidence to prove the story, and I dont think it was never Chevaliers intention to pass it in that way. Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665. [45][46] In the opinion of psychologist Rosemary Rizq, the pearl Griet dons is a metaphor, something which normally would convey wealth and status. [6] To learn more about the artist, the screenwriter researched Dutch society in the 17th-century, talked to artist friends about painting, and interviewed a Victoria & Albert Museum art historian who had restored the original artwork. A conflicted Griet deals with her growing fascination with Vermeer and his talent while fending off Van Ruijven, who attempts to rape her in the courtyard. Pearl Tv: With Rbecca Claude, Monika Jasmin Wulf, Vivien Konca, Diana Naborskaya. [30], According to Webber, Serra "was obsessed with reproducing the amazing use of light by the artists of that period, and most particularly Vermeer's use of it". The owner of the house where she works is none other than Vermeer, and that's where the story begins. The Girl was chosen as the image for the accompanying poster and her celebrity status was assured. [8] During the restoration, it was discovered that the dark background, today somewhat mottled, was originally a deep enamel-like green. Van Ruijven sits looking smugly at the finished painting. [8] Webber employed little dialogue and drew inspiration from the "quiet, tense, mysterious, transcendent world" of Vermeer's paintings. Art history can be fickle this isnt so surprising. What's The Real Story Behind The Famous Girl With A Pearl Earring Girl With A Pearl Earring (Dutch: Meisje met de parel)[1][2] is an oil painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer, dated c. 1665. Since they were friends, the two men agreed not to bid against each other. He was much more interested in story and character. Whereas Girl with a Pearl Earring is right there there is nothing between her and us. She therefore decides to pawn the earrings and pay the fifteen guilders owed to her husband from the price. Girl with a Pearl Earring - Johannes Vermeer Google Arts & Culture