Often called the "Mona Lisa of the North," this is arguably the most instantly recognizable gaze in the history of Western painting — a face turned over the shoulder, lips parted as if about to speak, the pearl catching a single point of light. Vermeer left behind no letters explaining who she was, no record of her name; the mystery has only deepened her hold on the imagination for three and a half centuries.
Painted with the almost photographic clarity that made Vermeer's small output so coveted even in his own lifetime, this work carries instant gravitas wherever it hangs — above a console, over a mantel, in a panelled study. Some names need no introduction; this is one of them.
c. 1665 · Oil on canvas, fine-art reproduction · Original held at Mauritshuis, The Hague
Limited · Hand-numbered · Certificate of authenticity
