Vermeer Painting
"Girl with a Pearl Earring"

Inspiration

& Research

The inspiration for my Vermeer roombox began when I saw the Vermeer exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in 1996. I fell under Vermeer's spell and vowed to learn all I could about him. Unfortunately, not much is known about Vermeer. He left few records and no known self-portraits.

Chevalier's Novel

In 1999, Tracy Chevalier's magnificent novel, "Girl with a Pearl Earring," arrived in bookstores. Chevalier perfectly captured the ambience of 17th century Delft and drew the reader into the story of "Griet," a young girl who became a maid in Vermeer's house. Griet understood Vermeer's use of color and method of composition (which made her mistress very angry, because she did not). Griet learned to mix Vermeer's pigments and aided him in his work. After several months, Vermeer asked Griet to pose for him. When the painting seemed incomplete, Vermeer suggested that Griet wear his wife's pearl earrings. Griet agreed, even though she knew that this would infuriate her mistress and probably lead to her dismissal. Her feeling was right; she was dismissed as soon as her mistress saw the painting.

I decided to create Vermeer's studio at the pivotal moment when he added the pearl to his masterpiece.

Vermeer's Camera

I searched and searched for information about Vermeer' studio, finding little except a book called "Vermeer's Camera" by Philip Steadman. What a goldmine that turned out to be! Steadman had many theories about Vermeer's studio. He speculated that Vermeer painted most of his works in one room. By studying the various paintings, he determined the size of the room, the probable layout of the tiles on the floor, the location and size of the windows, and the furniture Vermeer had placed in the studio. Using his book as my "bible," I started to design my roombox.

The Film

I learned that Chevalier's book was being filmed and waited impatiently for its release. "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" was everything I hoped for and more. Every scene resembled a Vermeer painting (the lighting and cinematography were amazing). The characters were enchanting (except for Vermeer, whom I characterized as a "wuss"). Several scenes were shot in the studio, giving me many ideas about historical accuracy and items to include. I saw the film five times in the theater, since I knew it would be several months before the video was available. Imagine trying to take notes in the dark!