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Young Woman with a Pearl Necklace
by Johannes Vermeer, 1664
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1664
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Johannes Vermeer painted this luminous scene around 1664 of a young woman adjusting a pearl necklace before a mirror we cannot see. She stands absorbed in her reflection, holding the yellow ribbons that tie the strand around her neck. Light from an unseen window illuminates her elegant ermine-trimmed jacket and the bare plaster wall behind her.
The painting's subject has inspired various interpretations over centuries, from simple vanity to deeper meditation on self-knowledge and appearance. The woman's absorbed expression and suspended moment typify Vermeer's genius for capturing psychological stillness and quiet contemplation. His technique here shows extraordinary control of light and tone, making the creamy yellows glow against gray walls. It hangs at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin among their Dutch Golden Age treasures.
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About Young Woman with a Pearl Necklace
This Vermeer hangs at the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, which holds two of his roughly 35 known paintings. The gallery's Dutch Golden Age collection is among Europe's finest.
The young woman adjusts her pearl necklace while looking in a mirror, a moment of private vanity that Vermeer captures with characteristic intimacy. The pearls may symbolize vanity or simply show fashionable jewelry.
The yellow jacket trimmed with ermine appears in several Vermeer paintings, suggesting it was an actual garment from his household. Its rich color contrasts beautifully with the white wall and cool daylight.
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