Girl with a Pearl Earring is a magical painting. Many people come to the Mauritshuis from all over the world for the opportunity to stand face to face with Vermeer’s masterpiece. Others dream of doing so. For many, the painting is a source of inspiration, a muse.
For years we have been receiving drawings, self-portraits and other creative responses to the Girl. As a museum we are of course mad about collecting, so we launched the Instagram account @mygirlwithapearl so that we can share the most remarkable versions of the painting that we receive with the rest of the world.
Are you ready for round two? Together with digital art centre Fabrique des Lumieres we've created a brand-new Girl experience: #mygirlwithapearl - The Immersive Edition. By joining forces, we're offering the opportunity once more to artists to share their unique take on the very famous Girl.
So many lovely Girls
In 2023 the spotlight was on Johannes Vermeer, painter of our Girl, as the Rijksmuseum hosted a major exhibition of his work from early February to early June 2023. Of course no Vermeer exhibition would be complete without Girl with a Pearl Earring, so she moved to Amsterdam for a while. Fortunately now, she is back in The Hague, on view for all visitors of the Mauritshuis.
But the spirit of the Girl did not leave the Vermeer room....Last year, The Mauritshuis issued an Open Call: create your own Girl - inspired by Vermeer's 1665 masterpiece - and have a chance to be displayed in a digital frame in the Girl’s original spot in the Vermeer room during her absence.
This Open Call triggered an explosion of creativity. No fewer than 3,482 Girls from all over the world found their way to The Hague. Painted, drawn, in wool, clay, wood, fabric, flower petals, buttons, ceramics, vegetables, fruit, shells, glass beads, balloons, Lego or as tattoos.
A selection of 170 submitted works were digitally displayed in a loop in the same room where you can see the real Girl as well. But the fun doesn't stop there. You can still share your version of our beloved Girl using #mygirlwithapearl on Instagram or TikTok for a chance to be featured online.
#mygirlwithapearl - The Immersive Edition is made possible by Nationale-Nederlanden, in collaboration with Fabrique des Lumières, AddiktSchbang (concept & graphics) and Kloaq (audio design).
