Girl With a Pearl Earring

Central to this novel is its exploration of vision, including, but not limited to, artistic vision. The novel’s interest in the relationship between vision and blindness is suggested by the figure of Griet’s father, a former tile painter who loses his sight in a kiln explosion. There are subtle links between Griet’s father and Vermeer who, on the surface at least, appear to be polar opposites. Both men are integral to the development of Griet’s own vision. Acting as her father’s “eyes” has sharpened her natural propensity for “seeing things as they [are],” including a careful attention to the qualities of light and color that are central to Vermeer’s work. However, while acting as her father’s eyes have laid a strong foundation for Griet’s eventual understanding of Vermeer’s artistic vision, her closeness to Vermeer increases the distance she feels from her family, suggesting that there is a type of blindness necessary to maintaining family harmony. This is especially evident in comparison with Vermeer’s own family, whose surface of calm seems to be always threatened by the chaos bubbling underneath.