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Beside the mona-lisaJohannes Vermeer A girl with an earring is probably the most famous portrait of all time. The 17th century painting inspired a film starring Scarlett Johansson and last year was the target of protests by climate activists, and is currently on display as part of the The unique exhibition of the Rijksmuseum of works by the Dutch master.
This week, while the Art Angle is on hiatus, we’re rebroadcasting an episode about Vermeer’s age-old secrets that have just been revealed.
You saw him. A woman wearing a blue turban against a black background looking over her shoulder as if you’ve just called her name. She wears a heavy pearl earring in one ear and her skin is so luminous it looks like she swallowed a light bulb. yes we are talking about a girl with an earring, one of the most famous paintings in the world. It has been reproduced countless times on mugs, t-shirts and pillows. It has inspired poems, novels and films. But the artist who created a girl with an earring? He remains shrouded in mystery.
Strangely, little is known about Johannes Vermeer. He lived in Holland in the 17th century and died in 1675 at the age of 43. He made less than 36 paintings. And audiences around the world are fascinated by his depictions of quiet domestic life. It has always been assumed that he worked in the same kind of solitude that he often portrayed in his paintings. But new research is challenge this assumption. In recent years, museums have state-of-the-art technology used to get below the surface of Vermeer and learn more about how he really worked.
To discuss the many secrets of Vermeer and the artist we thought we knewformer Artnet News editor Julia Halperin spoke with Washington, DC-based contributor Kriston Capps.
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