Johannes Vermeer's "The Girl With The Pearl Earring" is coming to San Francisco's De Young Museum. This is part of a greater show of "Dutch Masters", which includes better known Rembrandt van Rjin. These paintings are traveling to America as a special tribute, they will make one stop in California in San Francisco.
Rembrandt is the most famous of the "Dutch Masters", who broke with the Church styled paintings towards domestic scenes of everyday persons. However, it is Vermeer, who did less than 50 paintings, who has drawn attention for his work. They typically show interior scenes but with the same beauty as the former religious scenes.
One of the more famous is of the young girl with her head turned sideways starring out of the painting towards the viewer. This painting is called "the Girl with a Pearl Earring" as it shows her with an earring dangling from one ear. Her name is not known, but there are many theories as to who the young lady might be.
Of the many stories about this painting as to how it came about and whom it is of, there have been several books written about it as well as a film. This work is considered important enough to have a room of its own, while the rest of the works will be on display at the same time.
She is being called the "Dutch Mona Lisa". Her smile of youth and dream like quality is being compared to the alluring mature, knowing smile of Da Vince's Mona Lisa.
Check out the painting for yourself when the exhibit opens on Janruary 26, 2013. Or read the story about the painting by Tracy Chevalier or watch the movie made about the painter and his signature work with Colin Firth portraying the artists, who chose to paint a young girl with a dreamlike expression.
The De Young is one of the finest museums in the world and houses the largest collection of paintings on the West Coast. It is located in the middle of San Francisco, in Golden Gate Park which includes several other building of importance. This is a short drive from Sacramento, worth the drive to view something usually only seen in Europe.
The American tour comes from the Royal Picture Gallery of Mauritshuis, at "The Hague". The exhibit will be on display until June 2, 2013.
The admission is $25 dollars for special exhibit which goes down appropiately for seniors, students and youths to $ 15 dollars. Parking is avialable nearby in a parking lot, or public transportation stops close enough to walk.
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