The Girl with the Pearl Earring

The Girl with the Pearl Earring

August 10, 2012

The Concert is the painting that I choose so the book could help me appreciate the painting. The novel is called The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. The book's setting is the 17th century in Delft, Holland. The main character, Griet, is sixteen and finds out that she has to work for a painter by the name of Johannes Vermeer. She is in charge to clean Johannes Vermeer's studio. One afternoon, Griet is going to go to the apothecary and is asked by Johannes Vermeer if she can buy some things that he wrote on the paper. She doesn't open the paper but after that one time, Johannes asks her to help him with the paintings.

In The Concert there are three people and they are all playing an instrument. The book helped me take a second look at things that I would have not seen the first time. One thing I didn't pay attention to was the painting called The Procuress in the painting. It is the painting all the way to the right. I did not see that the woman on the right was holding a sheet of paper. She is also singing. The woman on the left is playing a harpsichord, I had no idea what that was but I got when Griet was describing it when some men were bringing it in.

The Concert is a very beautiful painting. With the help of the book to describe the painting in detail, it made me appreciate the painting more. Johannes Vermeer's paintings are very extraordinary.