If you were to name a few famous paintings, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" would probably come out on top. Everyone who sees this painting will be attracted by this girl who looks back with teardrop-shaped white pearl earrings. The indigo blue turban and brown clothes wrap the image of restraint and chastity of the girl. In the serene picture, the bright star-like eyes and the soft and slightly open lips exude a youthful and charming luster, and the mystery of wanting to talk. Beautiful skin is not compared by the light of pearls, but is lit up. Dutch art critic Göschjöder considered this to be Vermeer's finest work, the "Mona Lisa of the North".
This painting was created in Delft, Netherlands in 1665, by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), one of the three representatives of 17th century Dutch painting. This great painter was unhappy before his death, and had to sell paintings for a living, but he was never willing to perfunctory. He took every work seriously, and worked slowly and carefully. In addition, he was much more interested in painting. Interested in buying and selling, business is bleak and has to face poverty and heavy debts in life.
It was not until the mid-nineteenth century that Vermeer was rediscovered by art critics, and since then his reputation has grown, giving him the status he deserves. He was called "the Sphinx who slept for two centuries" and was a "mysterious painter". Of course, the same mystery also includes this "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Who is the girl in the picture? Why are you wearing pearl earrings that don't match your clothes? Why are the eyes moist and the corners of the mouth smiling?
After these questions circled in the heart of American female writer Tracy Chevrolet, a novel based on a famous painting was born. After director Peter Weber read the novel, he immediately adapted it into a touching love movie and received great acclaim. How do writers and directors reason and interpret the questions in famous paintings? How to restore the painter's life and creation scenes? Come with me to the answer.
1. The heroine's family background
The girl with the pearl necklace in the movie is a maid of the painter Vermeer's house named Greer. Her father was a tile painter in Delft, the Netherlands. He was injured by a kiln explosion and lost his job. In order to make a living, he had to let his daughter go to the painter Vermeer's house as a maid.
There is a certain degree of reliability in setting the identity of the protagonist in the painting as a maid. Different from Rembrandt's style of painting, Vermeer gave up religious and historical themes, and was more willing to be close to life, focusing more on the daily life of ordinary people, focusing on portraits of housewives, especially busy maids. He wrote many paintings on the theme of maids, such as "The Lace Worker", "The Maid Pouring Milk", "The Girl With the Wine Glass", "The Girl in Blue Clothes Reading a Letter" and so on.
Defining Greye's family background as the daughter of a tile painter, on the one hand, paved the way for Greye to communicate art with the painter, and on the other hand reflected the background of the era.
In the early 17th century, the active trade between the Dutch East India Company and the other party brought trade prosperity to Delft, the Netherlands. In particular, the porcelain imported from China caused a strong shock to the potters in Delft, the Netherlands, and directly stimulated a large number of local residents. Engaged in pottery, making ceramics. Through the two details of the film, we can have a superficial view of the appearance and use of the contemporary Delft blue pottery. The first is a blue porcelain picture of a handicraft that Greet used as a souvenir before he left home; the second is the architectural ceramic tiles pasted on the wall skirt of Vermeer's studio. These blue-and-white porcelains can be seen in the shadow of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, but the firing temperature and strength of the contemporary Delft tin-glazed blue pottery are not as good as those of Jingdezhen porcelain.
2. The discreet maid
Although Greet's father worked for the Catholic Church, and although his father said that Catholicism was no different from them, just not as serious, Greet the Protestant felt it when he walked cautiously into the Catholic Vermeer's house with a turban. Very awkward atmosphere. On the one hand, she practiced the Protestant teachings of simple life, hard work, and kindness to others. She strictly followed the instructions of the host and cleaned it carefully. While adapting to the Catholic-themed paintings that are placed everywhere in the house, the hostess is arrogant, sensitive and hysterical, the male host is indifferent and silent, and the little hosts are malicious and troublesome...
Delft is actually in the south of the predominantly Catholic Netherlands. In particular, the two sects of the 17th and 18th centuries can be said to be incompatible. Therefore, Greet, the Protestant, was uneasy and cautious at Vermeer's house, not only because of character, but also because of religion. Even later, she modeled for Vermeer with a Protestant restraint, except that the white turban covering her face was replaced by a blue one.
3. Echoes of Loneliness
It must be said that the father of the ceramic painter brought Greet the talent and edification for appreciating painting. She would ask the hostess for instructions before cleaning the window. Facing the hostess's contempt and confusion, she said that she was worried about changing the light in the studio after cleaning the window. She would be drawn to Vermeer's paintings for a long time. She would tell Vermeer that the color of the painting was wrong, and after Vermeer explained it, she understood that it was the base color. She senses the unnaturalness of the structure of the picture, and removing the chair suggests Vermeer to reconsider the composition.
When Vermeer found out that Greet was sensitive to art, of course he was delighted. He asked Greer to grind the paint for him. He told her that the superposition of colors can create layers and three-dimensionality. He showed her the camera obscura in painting. He even shouted in front of her wife, "Look at Greet, the pearl earrings will cast a brilliance on the neck", and he would also remove the stigma for Greer when his daughter slandered Greer for stealing a comb.
And she is also willing to be a model for Vermeer to complete the paintings ordered by the investors. Her eyes were wet, and she fought the pain to have Vermeer pierce her ear and put on his wife's pearl earrings for the suffocating beauty of the moment.
In the film, the two people's relationship is outlined as a hidden love to increase the drama. I don't think it's a bug to interpret this as an echo in loneliness, or even to the level of a confidant. This can be just a painter with a wife who does not understand the value of art and willfully tearing paintings, admiration and patience for a maid with artistic sensitivity; it can be just a maid living in indifference and strict control, and a painting talent and achievement. The admiration and reverence of the master. This trust and gratitude and this mutual sympathy are enough.
Since everything is the plot of novels and movies, there is no right or wrong in the construction of the emotions of the hero and heroine, as long as it is reasonable. The film expounds the characteristics of Vermeer's paintings through the discussion of art in the relationship between the hero and heroine, which is the more meaningful content.
Vermeer taught Greer to grind pigments, purple gem glue, yellow gum arabic, copper green wine capsule, green malachite, red cinnabar, pale yellow linseed oil... This reflects Vermeer's appreciation for painting. The use of modern mineral colors. Vermeer likes to use yellow, blue and gray, and his mastery of color and light is very outstanding.
Vermeer showed Greet the plot of the camera obscura, which was rare at that time, and restored Vermeer's attention to the observation of space ratio and light in his paintings, as well as the use of plane perspective skills, which made his works have a strong three-dimensional effect.
4. The helplessness of great painters
The constant birth of children, the willful and arrogant wife, the strict and powerful mother-in-law, the ill-conceived investors, and the heavily indebted economic situation have brought a lot of helplessness to this painter who does not know how to communicate and manage, and does not compress painting steps and time.
It was very difficult for Vermeer to sell his works during his lifetime, and no one cared about the oil paintings he distributed. Only 35 of his works have been handed down, and according to expert textual research, there are about 40 works in his lifetime.
Therefore, when faced with a painting with the theme of Greet serving investors, Vermeer could not refuse to draw, and could only draw a portrait of Greet for investors through negotiation.
So when the jealousy of his wife broke out the moment he opened the canvas, Vermeer could only watch Greet leave in embarrassment amid his wife's abuse.
In any case, Johannes Vermeer, who was unhappy in his life, created "Girl with a Pearl Earring" which left people with infinite reverie and discussion. He used this work that is as famous as "Mona Lisa" , declared to the world his irreplaceable position in the history of world painting, and also recorded a touch of holiness and warmth in his helpless life.
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