The Girl With The Pearl Earring

Until the second half of the second twentieth century “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” was titled as “The girl with a Turban”. This painting is also referred by many as the Mona Lisa of the North or the Dutch Mona Lisa. It is believed that the girl in this painting is Vermeer’s oldest daughter. Although there is no proof which suggests it is his daughter in this painting, her facial features appeared in several Vermeer’s artworks. However, his use of various techniques makes it hard to compare their faces. The Girl with the Pearl Earring is believed to be painted from 1665 to 1667. The work is an oil painting on canvas which shows the girl wearing an exotic dress, an oriental turban, and a pearl earring. The painting is 44.5cm high and
The painting's extraordinary three dimensional effect, wonderful color and previous hidden pure flesh tones were revealed as they were originally intended by Vermeer. They were also able to restore a small light reflection near the left corner of her mouth.
During the restoration they also find out that the black background is not as it was 340 years ago. Analysts believed that the background color intended by the artist was deep enamel-like green. They believed that deep enamel-like green against the warm flesh tone would create a more movement and three dimensional effects than the one which can be observed today. It is assumed that dark background was used by artists like Vermeer and Leonardo Da Vince in order to create three dimensional effects.
Upon restoration, they also eliminated the complicated folds and tucks on the turban to make it more attractive and give it uncomplicated look. The blue part of the turban was painted with natural ultramarine, an extremely costly pigment made of crushed lapis lazuli that Vermeer's contemporaries rarely used. Since the turban worn by Girl was unusual in Dutch during that time, it is also believed that the turban on Vermeer painting is inspired from Michael Sweerts “Boy in a