PAINTING - VERMEER's "GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING"

For the longest time, I've been enamored with the painting, THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING by JOHANNES VERMEER (c. 1665)!! I had never given it a thought that I could actually see it in person - until I was planning my trip to THE NETHERLANDS for this year. BINGO! I could arrange for us to drive to the MAURITSHAUS, an art museum in THE HAGUE, where it's housed. 

Thankfully we got there in plenty of time (despite going around the block(s) 2-3 times to find parking). There was not a big crowd around it and we were able to "GET RIGHT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL" to look at it at our leisure. WOW!!! 

Notice that her eyes follow you in each direction that you stand, just like the eyes of MONA LISA in THE LOUVRE.

This painting is everything I had hoped it would be in person. It's not teeny-tiny. And the BLUE!!  THE BLUE is gorgeous, the PEARL is notable and I now LOVE the painting even more!

We had some extra time to mozy through the rest of the MUSEUM. It's a fairly small building, as you saw from the photo of the exterior.

Here is another VERMEER painting. His TALENT with LIGHT!!

 View of Delft 1660-1661

The MAURITSHAUS also owns paintings by the DUTCH MASTER, PETER PAUL REUBENS. This first one (quite different in style from the second one), he did not paint to be sold; instead, he retained possession of it, probably to be used as study material for pupils in his studio.

 Old Woman and Boy with Candles - c. 1616-1617

Modello for the Assumption of the Virgin - c.1622-1625

Paintings by some additional DUTCH artists coming up....... 

Except for the first one below, "BRAWLING PEASANTS" by Adriaen Brouwer (c. 1634-1637), you begin to see a similar DUTCH ARTIST painting "STYLE" - a STYLE that I really LOVE and ADMIRE.

A Boy Blowing Bubbles by Casper Netscher - 1670

Joseph Explaining the Dreams of the Baker and the Cupbearer 

by Jan Mostaert - c. 1500 

Ice Scene by Hendrick Avercamp - c. 1610

DETAIL (right side) of Ice Scene by Hendrick Avercamp - c. 1610

 Merry Company on a Terrace by Willem Buytewech - c. 1616-1617

DETAIL of (right side) Merry Company on a Terrace by Willem Buytewech - c. 1616-1617

The interior of the MUSEUM is exquisite.

Looking out a MUSEUM window on that cloudy day......

"Last, but not at all least", some paintings by REMBRANDT in a special EXHIBITION at the museum. 

His PORTRAITS are "OUT OF THIS WORLD"!!

 Portrait of REMBRANDT with a Gorget - after c. 1629

 The Laughing Man - c. 1629-1630

 Study of an Old Man - c. 1650

 SELF-PORTRAIT - 1669

 Study of an Old Woman - after c. 1631

Portrait of an Elderly Man - 1667

Our visit to the MAURITSHAUS to see VERMEER's "GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING" was a HUGE THRILL for me. And the extra time to wander the rest of the museum was an unexpected surprise.

JOAN