Artist: Johannes Vermeer 

Title: Girl With a Pearl Earring

Date: 1665

Medium: Oil painting on canvas

Location: The Frick Collection, New York

Source: http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/mauritshuis/670

Human Emotions

Describe: Vermeer used a lot of shades of yellow in this painting. He used blue 

in a part of the woman's headpiece. This woman is covered up and we cannot see her hair. She looks to be of some importance.

Analyze: This painting is soft and quite simple. The colors or objects in this piece are not attention grabbing. This painting is orderly. The black background makes the woman stand out very well. Yellow is a recurring color in this piece.

Interpret: This piece in a whole does not grab my attention. Her eyes are what I notice first. They look sad or un satisfied. She has a solemn look on her face but there is a hint of wanting. I feel as though she may be rich and have plenty of material things, like her pearl earrings, but she wants happiness above all. The softness and glow of her face give her a look of someone important. The lack of color gives an unenthusiastic feeling. Her blue headpiece shows that she wants something more, something that is more infringing. This piece shows me longing and want. I think this woman looks afraid to show her hidden passion.

Judge: This painting is beautifully done. It is simple and shows me a nice message. My favorite part of this piece is the woman's eyes. They are gorgeous. Overall, this is not my favorite painting. Although it is beautiful, I prefer more abstract and messy art. But it is still a beautiful piece.