72 Catharina worries if Griet tempts her husband. Maids may “steal” their master’s
love and attention. The pearl earrings tell about how the painting is created. This is a work of light that is produced by the earring, which “can catch
and reflects the light as our eyes do” p. 204-205 and give the painting a focus. The earrings, with their reflection, are perfectly completing the painting.
The painting was like none of his others. It was just of me, of my head and shoulders, with no tables or curtains, no windows or powder brushes to
soften and distract. He had painted me with my eyes wide, the light falling across my face but the left side of me in shadow. I was wearing blue and
yellow and brown. The cloth wind round my head made me look not like myself, but like Griet from another town, even from another country
altogether. p. 202 The background was black, making me appear very much alone, although I
was clearly looking at someone. I seemed to be waiting for something I did not think would ever happen. p. 203
a. To Complete Vermeer’s Painting
The pearl earrings are used to complete Vermeer’s painting. Griet knows what is missing from the painting. She knows it before her master. “When I saw
what was needed—that point of brightness he had used to catch the eye in other paintings—I shivered”. p. 203 Vermeer finds it in one afternoon. Catharina
herself gives him the answer when he looks at her dressing up and using the pearl earrings.
... His eyes were fixed on his wife’s pearl earring. As she turned her head to brush more powder on her face the earring swung back and forth, caught
in the light from the front windows. p. 204 It made us all look at her face, and reflected light as her eyes did. p. 205
The pearl earrings can exactly complete the painting. It needs the pearl earrings’ light and they can bring all of the separate parts together.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
73 “You know,” he murmured, “that the painting needs it, the light that the
pearl reflects. It won’t be complete otherwise.” ... I had known immediately that it needed the pearl earring. Without it
there were only my eyes, my mouth, the band of my chemise, the dark space behind my ear, all separate. The earring would bring them all
together. It would complete the painting. p. 206
Without the pearl earrings inside the painting, Vermeer will not satisfy with the result. He is perfectionist when he is working and he will not stop
painting if he knows that is not complete yet. I knew that he would not borrow an earring from van Ruijven or van
Leeuwenhoek or anyone else. He used what he wanted for his paintings. He had seen Catharina’s pearl and that was he would make me wear.
“... I would never stop working on a painting if I knew it was not complete, no matter who was get it,” he muttered. “That is how I work.”
p. 207 “I know the painting will be complete.” p. 209
Nevertheless, Vermeer also cannot deny that he wants Griet. It is only because of he wants to create a perfect painting. In fact, her body, soul, and mind
are just used instinctively by the painter as an inspiration to create perfect paintings.
“You see, competition makes men possessive. He is interested in you in part because van Ruijven is.”
“… He thinks only of himself and his work, not of you. You must take care then.
“... The woman in his paintingshe traps them in his world. You can get lost there. p. 197
b. Catharina’s Love Toward Vermeer
