The stories, symbols and history behind great art

Girl with a Pearl Earring Explained

October 18, 2026

A short documentary on Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring: the turban, the dark background, the pearl and why the painting is a tronie rather than a portrait.

The video is in English. For sources, read our article on what the research revealed.

Watch on YouTube

Artworks

Image not reproduced
Johannes VermeerGirl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665Mauritshuis

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Girl with a Pearl Earring: What Science Revealed About Vermeer's Girl
She is not a portrait, the pearl has no hook and the dark background was once a green curtain. What the Mauritshuis research of 2018 found in Vermeer's most famous painting.