The mystery of Girl with a Pearl Earring has been solved: Who is it?

Magdalena was born in October 1655 and was therefore around the same age as the girl depicted in the painting.

Graham-Dixon assumes that Magdalena, like her parents, joined the Collegiant movement and was devoted to Christ.

One of the first paintings Magdalene's mother commissioned from Vermeer, The Sleeping Girl was inspired by Mary Magdalene, a prominent figure in the New Testament who followed Jesus and was present at his crucifixion and resurrection.

The art historian said that Magdalene was inspired by her grandmother, Mary Magdalene, and was made to depict the biblical figure in the painting.

Graham-Dixon says: “The pear in her ear is incredibly large because it is no ordinary jewel but a reflection of her joyful, divinely illuminated state of mind.

"He was the first person in history to see the risen Jesus, to speak with him, to grasp the immensity of all that his presence represented."

“Vermeer’s painting was there to invoke and sustain that moment every day, to guide the Magdalene’s prayers and keep her always in the presence of Jesus.”

Odatv.com