Jan Vermeer ( 1632-1675 ) a Dutch genre painter who lived and worked in Delft , created some of the most exquisite paintings in western art .
His works are rare . Of the 35-36 paintings generally attributed to him , most portray figures in interiors . All his works are admired for the sensitivity with which he rendered effects of light and colour , and for the poetic quality of his images .
Little is known for certain about Vermeer's life and career . He was born in 1632 , the son of a silk worker with a taste for buying and selling art . Vermeer himself was also active in the art trade . He lived and worked in Delft all his life .
This beautiful painting , the intriguing , mysterious subject of the 'Girl With a Pearl Earing ' ( often referred to as the 'Mona Lisa' of the north thought to be painted in 1655 ) was lost for 200 years and re-discovered in the mid 19th century . It depicts a young woman , adorned in an unusual head wrap , and wearing a prominent pearl-drop earing , turning to face the painter over her left shoulder , eyes softly sympathetic , and slightly lowered , mouth demurely parted .
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