Girl with the pearl earring

In a quiet, dark space, I wait. A soft light touches my face, making my skin glow. I wear a soft, twisty turban of blue and yellow, and from my ear dangles a big, shiny pearl that catches the light like a tiny moon. My lips are slightly parted, as if I am about to whisper a secret just to you. My eyes are wide and look right at you, no matter where you stand. I am a painting, and my name is Girl with a Pearl Earring.

A kind painter with a gentle hand created me a very long time ago, around the year 1665. His name was Johannes Vermeer. With his magical brushes, he mixed creamy, colorful paints to bring me to life on a canvas. He did not paint a queen or a princess; he just painted a girl with a curious look. He made the light dance on my cheek and put a tiny dot of white paint on my pearl to make it sparkle. He wanted everyone who saw me to wonder: 'Who is she.'.

For hundreds of years, I have lived in a special home called a museum. People from all over the world come to visit me. Little children and grown-ups stand quietly and look into my eyes. They smile, and sometimes they tilt their heads, just like me. Even though I never say a word, I share a special moment with everyone. I am a mystery and a friend, a splash of color and light that helps you imagine and wonder, forever and always.