Review of Girl with a Pearl Earring

I am a little biased here since the Vermeer painting of the same name captures my attention like few other paintings I have ever seen. My eyes just swim in it. Obviously, I am not alone.

But while I am captivated by the woman’s eyes, the author, Tracey Chevalier, must have been consumed by them. Not surprisingly, the author writes her historical novel like she was there in 1664 Holland, and I can’t give her a better compliment than that.

I am also partial to this novel because the author gives the painted woman life. We know Vermeer's painting and his brilliance, but we don't know anything about the subject he painted nor if he was a good or bad man himself. It’s an intriguing premise. In this novel, the woman is no longer merely an object of desire but a fleshed-out human being, flaws and all. It’s like watching an Instagram Influencer create a beautiful photograph of herself and share the moment on social media. What happens after she puts away the camera? Is she just as happy as she was in the photo? Does her smile fall flat? The same goes for this painting. Does the woman’s look of innocence change once the artist puts down his brush? Because of this novel, one of the most famous unnamed women in history now has a name, Griet, and better yet, a coming of age story.

It begins when 16-year-old Griet has to leave her home when her father gets blinded in an accident and cannot work. Indebted, he pays his debt through his daughter, and she must live in Vermeer’s household as a maid. Vermeer’s sensuous talent naturally attracts the young Griet to his studio. While there, she develops a talent for mixing colour for Vermeer’s paints and soon gains a deeper appreciation of his art. Meanwhile, Vermeer is stuck in an artistic rut, and his household suffers. Art means food on the table, and even though they are aristocratic, they live beyond their means. But Vermeer is only inspired to paint when a licentious patron fixates on Griet, and Vermeer strikes a bargain with the man to paint her as a means to protect her. This temporary fix results in a cost to all. The wife’s cost is having Griet around her husband when she senses her husband wants something more. The cost to Vermeer is to paint for a man he abhors. The cost to Griet, who has no stature in this house, is far worse. Forced to navigate a world of jealousy, pettiness, and regret, she must walk a fine line between suffering and loneliness, contentment and belonging. The choice she makes affects them all. While the pearl earrings she wears in the painting plays a part, it is not what you think. Her eyes tell you more.

Check it out.