The Baroque Era
Girl with the Pearl Earring
by Johannes Vermeer 1665
This painting is thought to have been painted in Delft. This was the hometown of
Vermeer. The painting is extremely quick to draw you in. You feel comfortable because she looks like us. By some she is referred to as the
Dutch "Mona Lisa". You almost see yourself in her. She is not fancy or high royalty. She is relatable. The color contrast makes her the full focus of this painting. She is bright colored and looks like there is a light on her. With the solid black background it makes her look close and removes all background distractions. The black creates depth and distance as well. You immediately see the rise of the merchant class in this painting by her clothing and simple look. As said before she looks like us and painted to not resemble a class above her. This painting seems to tie into the
humanism paintings of the Renaissance Period.
Madonna with child and John the Baptist artist and year unknown
As you can see in this painting just like the one above it is relatable. You know her and how she feels. You are drawn to her and the bright clothing and skin draw your eyes straight to her and the babes. She is dressed very basic for the times and does not resemble high society but more the norm like you and I. Both of these paintings depict the basic human look and emotion. I would gladly own both paintings because looking at them is pleasing and give a sense of seeing myself within them.
Works Cited
1. Telayna. “The Rise of the Merchant Class, and Its Influence for Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Tgordonart, 7 Oct. 2014, tgordonart.wordpress.com/2014/10/05/the-rise-of-the-merchant-class-and-its-influence-for-vermeers-girl-with-a-pearl-earring/.
2. “Humanism in Art and Politics - Lily L. and Lily N.” Mr.Rice’s Medieval Website, awesomemiddleageshastings.weebly.com/humanism-in-art-and-politics---lily-l-and-lily-n.html. Accessed 12 Oct. 2023.
3. Winn, Steven. Dutch Golden Age Beckons at De Young - Sfgate, 13 Jan. 2013, www.sfgate.com/art/article/Dutch-Golden-Age-beckons-at-de-Young-4184622.php.
4. Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, et al. “Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Smarthistory Johannes Vermeer Girl with a Pearl Earring Comments, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/johannes-vermeer-girl-with-a-pearl-earring/.
I've always loved this painting, the more you look the more you wonder who she was and what she felt about having her portrait done. As you said the rise of the merchant class is reflected in the use of portraiture here, a popular tool to show wealth and status. I'd imagine she was enthusiastic. The contrast of the chiaroscuro is very well done, bringing all the focus onto the subject and her infamous pearl. I wonder if her open mouth is meant to signify her desire to tell us something, perhaps a secret of Vermeer's? Something he, himself couldn't communicate and chose to hint at through this piece.
ReplyDeleteHello, I also wrote about Girl with a Pearl Earring. I didn't write as much as you did though, I didn't have the best connection with the assigned topics, but this one was amazingly done. I do see Girl with a Pearl Earring quite a lot though, the second painting you listed was a first for me. I feel Human emotion is more present in Madonna with Child and John the Baptist than in Girl with a Pearl Earring. Madonna shows a very calm expression, and the child and John the Baptist show lots of natural, human emotion. Great painting choice!
ReplyDeleteI agree that she seems super relatable. The way she is looking out from the painting makes it seem like she is acknowledging you, and makes you feel seen. Her simple clothes make her far more relatable than paintings made about religious events or nobility. Representation is important in art, and as you mentioned this coincided with the rise of the merchant class. I wonder what this painting meant to them?
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