Johannes Vermeer
c. 1665
Oil on canvas
Baroque, Dutch Golden Age
Mauritshuis, The Hague
An iconic painting by an iconic master. When one of the most incredible portraits ever painted underwent restorative work in 1994, the technicians discovered that the black background was actually painted as a dark green. The two organic pigments used by Vermeer, indigo and weld, has faded with the passing of time, but the effect of depth and contrast it gives is still as breathtaking today.
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