Christinas World by Wyeth vs. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer Paintings

Table of Contents

Cultural Artifacts
Common Theme
Personal Experience
References

Cultural Artifacts

I have chosen two paintings created by different authors for the current analysis. The first one is called Christinas World by Andrew Wyeth, created in 1948 (Esaak, 2020). Currently, the painting is located in the Museum of Modern Art in New York (Esaak, 2020). The second painting is the well-known Girl with a Pearl Earring created by Jan Vermeer in 1532 (Girl with a Pearl Earring, n.d.). The art piece is currently located in Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery, The Hague (Girl with a Pearl Earring, n.d.). Both painting have the common theme of hope in the ultimate despair. Even though the pictures are not overcomplicated with details, they have profound deep stories behind the depicted women.

Figure 1. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Andrew Wyeth (1532)

Common Theme

The first picture reflects the woman with a genetic disorder preventing her body from normal functioning. As a result, she cannot walk, but she tries to reach the beloved home hoping for the better in complete despair (Esaak, 2020). The second picture conveys the same meaning through the color choice. The bright face of the woman reflecting hope is depicted on the black background. Her facial expression shows the sadness and suffering that she bears. However, her eyes express hope and belief in a better. The earring can be interpreted as a protection against evil words and dark intentions surrounding the woman. Thus, the common theme in both paintings is a womens ability to see the good and preserve hope even in the darkness.

Personal Experience

The theme of hope is one of the relevant moral topics for me. The great creators showed that life is cruel through their pictures, and there may be many tragic situations when people lose hope. However, no matter the difficulties, hope in the darkness is the only true path for people. These paintings are inspiring for me, empowering better thoughts. The authors conveyed the idea that hardships will always be in human lives. However, they also highlighted that the final choice, to fight or give up, is always made by people.