Portrait of a Lady vs Girl with a Pearl Earring

Portrait of a Lady by Rogier Van der Weyden was painted around 1460. Girl with a Pearl Earring was painted by Johannes Vermeer around 1665. Both painting are of women not completely facing forward. In both paintings, both women are painted to take up the maximum space of the canvas and dark backgrounds which further emphasizes the fact that the women are the focus point of the painting. There are many similarities to both paintings and many differences. Both women are facing in the same direction, not directly facing the viewer. Both women have something covering their hair with clothing that covers their bodies. They are both oil paintings and most of the painting is done with fairly dark colors except for one item that has a brighter tone. For Van der Weyden’s painting, it is her red belt that draws attention to her tiny waist and for Vermeer’s painting, it is her blue head piece which helps to draw attention to her face.

Portrait of a Lady shows the woman’s body facing forward but her face slightly turned away and her eyes averted towards the ground. She seems very composed and in control which is indicated by her tightly crossed fingers. She has no expression on her face but her eyes make her seem that she is lost in some far away thought. The painting has many geometric patterns. Her headdress doesn’t flow down to her shoulders but rather its falls at a harsher angle. Her face is oval and elongated with almond shaped eyes. Her hair is tightly pinned and her fingers are crossed purposely which makes me think that through her demeanor, she has control.

Girl with a Pearl Earring, the woman is facing to the side with her head facing towards the viewer. In this painting, the pearl earrings are in the center of the painting. She has very soft features with slightly parted lips. Her features are not elongated as Van der Weyden’s. Her stare is very inviting. Her body is facing away but her head is turned towards you with eyes piercing you. It seems that she is looking back just at you and her lips seemed like she has just finished whispering something to you. It’s hard to tell from the painting if she is an adult or a teenager because her features are so soft. This is one of my favorite paintings that I grew to like from taking this class.

by: Tasha Chadee