Mug Girl with Pearl

Girl with a Pearl Earring is an oil painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer, dated c. 1665. It is his most famous work of art.

Girl with a Pearl Earring is not a portrait, but a “tronie”: a painting of an imaginary, idealized figure. While many of Vermeer’s paintings depict women involved in daily tasks, such as chores, reading or writing, Girl with a Pearl Earring features an unidentified young woman doing nothing but looking over her shoulder. The intimacy of her gaze makes her seem familiar; her ambiguous expression heightens the enigmatic nature of the masterpiece. 

Vermeer's demonstrates his mastery of light and shade by setting the young woman’s vibrant blue and yellow turban and glistening pearl against a dark background. Her skin glows, while subtle glimmers of white on her parted red lips make them appear moist.