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I am a big fan of the movie Girl with a Pearl Earring (I already made a smaller ’painting’ gallery earlier this year). The movie describes the (fictional) making of the world-famous painting by Dutch painter Vermeer. 18-year old Scarlett Johansson had her breakthrough as Griet, a shy house maiden in the Vermeer residency that becomes the unlikely muse for the painter. The movie (and the book that was the inspiration for it) is low-key, merely suggesting a slowly evolving romance between Griet and Vermeer that is never consummated. But hey, these were other times and in a messy Renaissance household like that reality sure would have been different. So I described in 6 scenes what I think definitely could have happened. After Griet has joined the household, she draws the attention of Maertge, the oldest daughter of Vermeer. With her awakening sexuality, she is fascinated by the already mature Griet - and at night she just HAS to have a curious peek into Griet’s bedroom. Then there is the more senior maiden Tanneke, who initiates Griet into everything. And I literally mean ’everything’. At that time, housemaids had nothing more than each other, as they were rarely allowed out and the men in the household were definitely off limits. As you can imagine, the lesbian sex acts between housemaids were far from delicate. Then there is Pieter van Ruijven, the wealthy patron of Vermeer who actually ordered the painting of Griet, smitten as he was by her. In the movie he tries to have his way with her, and fails. Reality, I think, was likely to be different. Then - of course - there is Johannes Vermeer himself, obviously in love with Griet and again, where in the movie nothing happens we all know the much more likely truth. Finally, there were the two mistresses of the house. Maria Thins was the mother-in-law of Vermeer and being very rich, she actually called the shots in the household. And although she may have not desired sex anymore at her age, she may have loved seeing Griet pleasure herself (I know I would). Then finally, there is Catharina Vermeer. Ending up eventually with 15 children, she more or less continuously was pregnant. And with the horniness that such a condition can bring, the maid was ideal to provide some - well - ’extra’ relief services. In the end, it all becomes too much and too complicated and Griet is sent off, after two turbulent years in the Vermeer household in Delft. Maybe now we know where that famous faint smile on the painting comes from …?
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