Here\u2019s a pearl of wisdom.<\/p>\n
After 360 years, an art historian has allegedly solved one of art history\u2019s most enduring mysteries \u2014 the identity of the subject in the \u201cGirl With A Pearl Earring\u201d painting. <\/p>\n
Art expert Andrew Graham-Dixon dropped this alleged bombshell in a recent Times of London<\/a> article ahead of the release of his new book \u201cVermeer: A Life Lost and Found.\u201d<\/p>\n In it, it was disclosed that the artist who painted the iconic opus in 1665, Johannes Vermeer, almost exclusively worked for Dutch husband and wife Pieter Claeszoon van Ruijven and Maria de Knuijt, in\u00a0Delft, Netherlands, who were part of a radical Christian sect called the Remonstrants, the Telegraph reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Therefore, Graham-Dixon believes that the pensive-looking girl in the painting \u2014 notable for her exotic-looking turban and, of course, giant pearl earring \u2014 is most likely the patron\u2019s 10-year-old daughter, Magdalena.<\/p>\n The famous \u201cGirl With A Pearl Earring,\u201d painted in 1665 by Johannes Vermeer.<\/p>\n Graham-Dixon noted that the girl was dressed as Jesus\u2019s follower Mary Magdalene \u2014 the Remonstrants modeled their lives on Mary Magdalene and other followers of Jesus.<\/p>\n The mystery of who the subject is in this famous painting seems to have finally been solved. AP<\/p>\n \u201cShe (Magdalena) would have been 12 in the autumn of 1667, and assuming that she was a Collegiant, a more radical outgrowth like her parents, she would have solemnized her commitment to Christ at that age,\u201d claimed Graham-Dixon.<\/p>\n The life of Vermeer (pictured) is as enigmatic as the subject of his most famous work. johannesvermeer.org<\/p>\n The art aficionado added that every painting by Vermeer, who was also raised as a Remonstrant and participated in Collegiant gatherings, \u201cwas inspired by the religious beliefs cherished by Marie de Knuijt and those close to her, who included Vermeer himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, Graham-Dixon\u2019s assertion is the topic of some dispute.<\/p>\n Ruth Millington, the author of\u00a0\u201cMuse: Uncovering the Hidden Figures Behind Art History\u2019s Masterpieces,\u201d believes that the oil painting isn\u2019t necessarily a case of art imitating life.<\/p>\n \u201cThe allure of this painting is the mystery of the muse,\u201d she told the Daily Mail. <\/a>\u201cIt\u2019s not meant to be a direct portrait of a sitter who can be easily identified, but rather a \u2018tronie,\u2019 a picture of an imaginary figure. Too often, people read paintings as purely biographical when there\u2019s more complexity to them.\u201d<\/p>\n