"Girl With a Pearl Earring" is universally recognized as part of the masterworks of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. This painting has become one of the collections of the Mauritshuis Gallery in Netherland since 1902. Just like the title implies, Girl With a Pearl Earring uses the pearl as its focal point. This painting has been studied by scholars for almost over a century. It portraits a young girl dressed in an exotic turban who turns and gazes at the viewer. The girl's liquid eyes and half-opened mouth make her very vivid with the immediacy of her presence, but the darkness in the background and her evocative costume give her a lasting quality. In the past, the painting has also been called 'The Dutch Mona Lisa' or 'The Mona Lisa of the North'. The image is a tronie, which is the Dutch 17th century description of a 'head'. In 1994, the painting had its most recent fixation and restoration. The subtle use of color and the immediacy of the girl's gaze toward the viewer have been greatly enhanced. .
Vermeer's paintings focused on everyday life scenes from neighborhoods in the city of Delft, Netherland. His subject matter depicts ordinary people and narratives of domesticity in the 17th century. Vermeer was popular for his realistic paintings and thus he can be described as painter of the people for the people. .
Yet the fascination of Vermeer's paintings is not in his choice of theme and subject, but in the poetic ways his images are portrayed and displayed. His use of light, color, proportion and scale truly enhanced the moods of his figures. The immediacy of his works is very strong, yet he encourages viewers to stay and ponder to his world of arts. In this particular painting by Vermeer, the mood is enhanced by the pure tones of blue and yellow in the girl's turban. This color harmony extends throughout the whole painting and creating strong contrast with the dark background.