Girl with a Pearl Earring was painted by which artist?

• A. Johannes Vermeer
• B. Edvard Munch
• C. Jan van Eyck
• D. Francisco Goya

Answer: (A)

Johannes Vermeer painted Girl with a Pearl Earring. Vermeer, a Dutch Golden Age painter, is celebrated for quiet, intimate scenes lit by natural window light and for his meticulous rendering of textures—skin, fabrics, and, of course, the pearl. This painting embodies that approach with the girl’s calm, direct gaze, the soft glow of her skin, the blue turban, and the bright, attention-grabbing pearl. The subtle color palette and the precise, almost photographic quality of the light and surface are telling hallmarks of Vermeer’s technique, dating to around 1665. The other artists listed are from different periods and styles, so they did not create this work.