Mauritshuis: “New discoveries and insights from the international scientific examination. Girl with the Pearl Earring (c. 1665) by Johannes Vermeer is one of the most famous paintings in the world. Two years ago, an international team of scientists from various museums and institutions examined Vermeer’s masterpiece in full public view. Now, two years later, the team unveils their new discoveries…One of the most surprising findings was that the background is not simply an empty dark space; Vermeer painted the Girl in front of a green curtain. Imaging techniques visualised diagonal lines and colour variations that suggest folded fabric in the upper right-hand corner of the painting. The curtain has disappeared over the course of the centuries as a result of physical and chemical changes in the translucent green paint…”