Rebecca Siegel
Design Editor

Despite arriving only a half hour after the De Young Museum opened on Saturday morning, patrons were already waiting in long lines to view the special traveling exhibition, “Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis.”

The collection traveled from the city palace turned museum The Mauritshuis, in the center of The Hague, right next to the center of the Dutch government. The Mauritshuis has been under renovation for the past year and is sharing its priceless collection of Dutch gems — both famous and hidden — with fine art museums around the world.

The exhibition opens with beautifully intricate sketches of the Dutch master Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, eloquently illustrating the chronological order of how a painting is planned out. Rembrandt’s etchings are paired with words describing the prosperity of the Dutch Golden Age, a parallel movement to the Italian Renaissance, and the Dutch master’s close attention to day-to-day common life as well as the beauty and opulence of the wealthy.

The first gallery shows oil landscapes highlighting the region’s rich and beautiful cities and countryside. The most striking landscape of urban life is Emanuel de Witte’s “Interior of an Imaginary Catholic Church.” The interior shows de Witte’s ideal vision of what an urban chapel might look like — a safe and beautiful haven for the community to get closer to God. The detailed oil composition pulls viewers into the heart of this urban oasis, and even further emphasizes the Dutch focus on detail.

An unexpected treasure in the landscape gallery is Jacob Van Ruisdale’s “Winter Landscape,” which in emotional color and detail, shows the turbulence that winter can cause in even the most prosperous farms and cities.

The next gallery houses some of the most famous Dutch still lifes, focusing on flowers — especially tulips. After arriving from Turkey on a pre-Golden Age trade boat, tulips have been some of the Netherlands’ best exports. Abraham van Beyeren’s 1664 Flower still life with a timepiece, depicts a gorgeous flower arrangement, and shows the importance that the Dutch put on creating simple beauty in everyday life. The room also holds Pieter Claesz’s “Vanitas,” a chilling still life showing a highly detailed human skull, and emphasizing the Dutch Golden Age’s intellectual opinion on human mortality.

Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” is held in the second to last gallery in an impressive gold frame. Often referred to as the “Dutch Mona Lisa,” Vermeer’s hauntingly beautiful painting is the reason so many have flocked to the De Young so early on a Saturday morning. The tronie — an idealistic version of a portrait — does not disappoint. “Girl with a Pearl Earring” is shockingly alluring, her simplicity and innocence radiate off the canvas. Despite being restored multiple times, her original mystery still prevails.

This exhibit is a must-see for not only the art buff, but also anyone who wants to learn more about the Dutch Golden Age.

This special exhibit at the De Young is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. seven days a week until June 2. Youth tickets, ages 13-17, are $16 and students with ID are $22.
One last quick tip for success — don’t visit The Girl on a weekend.