Thousands around the world pay tribute to 'Girl With A Pearl Earring'

An artwork featured at the 'My Girl With A Pearl' open call by the Mauritshuis Art Museum in The Hague. Photo: Handout

While its famous Girl With A Pearl Earring by 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer is away in Amsterdam, the Mauritshuis Art Museum in The Hague is showing a collection of works by contemporary artists of their own version of the painting.

Some 170 modern versions are taking their turn at precisely where the original usually hangs, the museum said recently, showing a selection on its website.

The creations come from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ghana, Iran, Mexico, Portugal, Rumania, Russia, Vietnam and South Africa, among other countries, and include contributions referencing the world of comics and Lego, along with creations put together with fruit and vegetables.

The real Girl With A Pearl Earring is starring in the largest Vermeer exhibition ever currently being held in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, where 28 of the 37 works by the artist believed to exist are on show.

In anticipation of the event, the Mauritshuis issued a call last year for anyone to create their own version of the 1665 original.

According to the website, it received 3,482 contributions from all over the world: painted, drawn, in wool, clay, wood, fabric, flower petals, buttons, ceramics, vegetables, fruit, shells, glass beads, balloons, Lego and as tattoos. – dpa