Study of Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring
Oil on Canvas
16″ x 20″
Mary admires the Dutch Masters and their use of light. She practiced Johannes Vermeer’s painting techniques in this 2011 painting that she completed in her studio in Colorado.
Like the Dutch Masters, she used 12 layers of paint and worked from the dark pigments to the lights. The original, Girl with a Pearl Earring, was painted by Vermeer in 1665 and is sometimes referred to as the Mona Lisa of the North. Author Tracy Chevalier, who wrote the 1993 novel also entitled Girl With a Pearl Earring, saw a photo of Mary’s painting and sent her an autographed copy of her book. Tracy’s book was made into a 2003 movie starring Scarlett Johansson.