The Hague (AFP)
New research on Vermeer's "The Pearl Girl", one of the most famous paintings in the world, has revealed elements making her more "human", even if her identity remains a mystery, announced on Tuesday the museum that houses it.
Scientific examination, the first of which the masterpiece of the Dutch master has been the subject of since 1994, revealed the presence of tiny eyelashes around the eyes of the girl, invisible to the naked eye, explained Mauritshuis , located in The Hague.
Research has also established the existence of a green curtain in the seemingly empty background of the painting dating from 1665, a kind of "folded fabric" that has finally faded over the centuries .
These results "offer a glimpse of a painting much more human than previously thought," the museum said in a statement.
Researchers have long been fascinated by the painting of this young woman with an enigmatic look, wearing a blue and yellow headband, a pearly pearl hanging from her ear.
The review, carried out by an international team of scientists from February 2018, brought to light new details on the use of pigments and the way Vermeer produced his work using different layers.
The painter for example modified the composition of the painting, shifting the position of the ear, the top of the scarf and the nape of the neck, and used raw materials from around the world, including a natural ultramarine from Afghanistan which was at the "more precious than gold" era.
The pearl is an "illusion", made up of "translucent and opaque touches of white paint", explained the Mauritshuis.
However, the analyzes did not identify the girl, or establish whether she really existed or if she is the product of the imagination of Johannes Vermeer.
"The young girl has unfortunately not yet revealed the secret of her identity, but we have gotten to know her a little better," said Martine Gosselink, the director of the museum.
This however does not constitute "the end point of our research" on the table, which notably inspired a novel and a film with the American actress Scarlett Johansson, specified Mrs. Gosselink.
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