Mitchell Grafton, Self-Portrait

[EN] Painted by the 17th-century Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of the most recognized masterpieces. The focal point of the painting is the earring. Many of the women Vermeer painted are associated with pearls. A strength of the painting is its use of light, illuminating the girls face and highlighting the earring. Critics suggest that an earring of this type was unlikely to exist at this time, and it has been speculated that Vermeer painted the earring from imagination. Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, using bright colors and sometimes expensive pigments, with a preference for cornflower blue and yellow. He is particularly renowned for his masterly treatment and use of light.