Why is Vermeer’s «Girl with the Pearl Earring» considered a masterpiece? — James Earle

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Is she turning towards you or away from you? No one can agree. She’s the subject of Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer’s «Girl with the Pearl Earring,» a painting often referred to as the ‘Mona Lisa of the North.’ But what makes this painting so captivating? James Earle explains how this work represents the birth of a modern perspective on economics, politics, and love.

Lesson by James Earle, animation by Tess Martin.