What you are looking at
A girl looks over her shoulder at us against a dark background, lips parted, wearing a blue and yellow turban and a large pearl drop earring. Vermeer built the pearl from just a few strokes: a bright highlight and a soft reflection of her white collar.
Why it is famous
It is not a portrait of a known person but a tronie, the Dutch term for a study of a face, a character or an expression. The turban was made with expensive ultramarine. Tracy Chevalier's 1999 novel and the 2003 film imagined a story for the girl, which made the painting famous far beyond the art world.
How big is Girl with a Pearl Earring?
Girl with a Pearl Earring measures 44.5 × 39 cm (17.5 × 15.4 in), without its frame. It is smaller than the Mona Lisa: about 41% of its area.
Compare it with other paintings
Where to see it
It hangs at the Mauritshuis in The Hague, a small museum where you can usually get close to it. Plan around an hour for the whole museum.
Museums move and lend paintings. Check the museum's website before you travel to see one work.
More by Johannes Vermeer
All Johannes Vermeer paintings
Also at the Mauritshuis
Frequently asked questions
Who painted Girl with a Pearl Earring?
Johannes Vermeer painted Girl with a Pearl Earring in c. 1665.
Where is Girl with a Pearl Earring?
Girl with a Pearl Earring is in the Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands.
How big is Girl with a Pearl Earring?
44.5 × 39 cm (17.5 × 15.4 in). It is smaller than the Mona Lisa: about 41% of its area.
What is Girl with a Pearl Earring made with?
Oil on canvas.
Sources: Wikidata Q185372; Wikipedia, "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Checked October 17, 2026. How we check.