Explore Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” in stunning detail with an interactive 10 billion pixel panorama

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# art history # painting

Last year, researchers published recordings of nearly two years of analysis of Johannes Vermeer’s most famous work of art, The Girl with the Pearl Earring. Although their findings did not include the subject̵

7;s highly sought-after identity, they revealed that the gray background was actually a dark green curtain and that the figure had lashes visible only with magnification. Thanks to Emilien Leonhard and Vincent Sabatier of Hirox Europe, we can all explore the intricacies of Vermeer’s elusive work and peek directly into the cracks of paint with an interactive 10 billion pixel panorama.

The duo began an effort to determine the condition of the surface of the iconic piece after numerous restorations, to measure the space between the broken pigments and to clarify the artist’s technique. Using a personalized microscope, Leonhard and Sabatier took 9,100 photos of the picture, which were then woven together into the massive panorama. It reveals details up to 4.4 microns per pixel.

Head to the Hirox Europe website to see the incredible intricacies of the Pearl Earring Girl in both 2 and 3-D, and watch the video above for details on the technical aspects of capturing small details. (via Peta Pixel)

# art history # painting

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