mauritshuis hosts your own interpretation of the girl with a pearl earring

unusual takes on the Girl With a Pearl Earring

Mauritshuis Museum asks the public to develop their imagination and create their own version of the famed Girl With A Pearl Earring. The Girl with a Pearl Earring is an iconic painting made in 1665 by Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer, and has been in the collection of the Mauritshuis Museum in the Hague since 1902. From early February, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will host a major exhibition dedicated to Vermeer’s work, and not to mention, no Vermeer exhibition would be complete without the renowned artwork.

This means that Mauritshuis will take down the famous artwork, which will be on tour until June. But don’t worry, they didn’t plan to leave the spot empty. Instead, since April 2021, the museum has run the @mygirlwithapearl Instagram account, asking the public to recreate the famed oil painting. So, somewhere next month, the wall where the Girl usually hangs will host a digital frame where selected creative works will be on display.

‘The rules? Well, there aren’t many, in fact. Feel free to surprise us,‘ share the museum. Inspired by the iconic painting, distinctive colors, bold patterns, and shapes, different materials, and techniques are all allowed. From embroidery and food art to self-portraits in a bath towel turban or a painted iron, you can make your dreamy Corn With a Pearl Earring and amaze the crowd. all images by Mauritshuis

creative variations reinterpret the beloved girl

Art enthusiasts, creatives, or even ordinary people without an artsy background can enter the new campaign with bizarre, fancy, or unconventional interpretations, unfolding their talent (or not).

Crowds of people visit Mauritshuis annually to admire Vermeer’s masterpiece, but now they are called to become the creator of a unique take on the Girl With a Pearl Earring. A digital frame will hang where the original painting is normally on view, displaying a great selection of works made by thousands of creative participants. Submissions are open until January 15, 2023, and you can submit your lovely Girl via the online form. The entries will be available for viewing on Instagram via #mygirlwithapearl and on the Mauritshuis website.

Browse Mauritshuis’ Instagram for more odd Girl variations.