Girl with a Pearl Earring

One of the most celebrated works in Western art, this intimate tronie depicts a young woman wearing an exotic dress and a large pearl earring, turning her gaze over her shoulder toward the viewer. Vermeer's mastery of light is evident in the luminous skin tones and the gleam of the earring against the dark background. The painting has been called the 'Dutch Mona Lisa' for its mysterious, captivating quality.