Girl's head, Johannes Vermeer

Girl's Head is a painting from 1665-1667 by Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. The work hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the canvas forms a pendant with Girl with a Pearl Earring from the same period. Both paintings are almost the same size and have the same composition: a looking girl against a dark background. Girl's Head is not a portrait, but a so-called tronie, a study of a facial expression or striking type. Rembrandt and Frans Hals, among others, frequently practised this genre; perhaps one of Vermeer's older daughters was the model for the canvas. The girl is not a classical beauty, but has a broad and rather ordinary face, also described as 'moon-like'. The pale face hardly contrasts with the silk shawl, where Vermeer once again showcases his ability to project light effects on shiny fabrics. With her sweet smile and interested eyes, the girl evokes a sense of interaction in the viewer, an effect that Johannes Vermeer often manages to achieve in his paintings.