Girl with a Pearl Earring

WOMAN: Griet. GASPS

Leave that.

MAN: Griet?

GRIET: Father.

Do you remember?

You watched me paint it.

WOMAN: I never thought our family would come to this.

The food may be strange to your stomach.

Keep clear of their Catholic prayers.

Or, if you must be with them when they pray,

stop your ears.

GIRL: Give it. SECOND GIRL: I got Cornelia's, too.

THIRD GIRL: Give it back.

FIRST GIRL: Stop it.

SECOND GIRL: You did not get it.

Do you know the house of Master Vermeer?

Tell Tanneke the new maid is here.

FOURTH GIRL: I'm gonna pop yours now.

TANNEKE: You took your time.

Lose your way, did you?

Young mistress is out this morning.

I'm to show you round.

Water for the table.

Take water from the canal for laundry.

It's clean enough this side of town.

Soda, coppers, boiler,

sand and soap.

In cooking kitchen, you're to help serve and clear.

Buy fish and meat

when young mistress don't want to.

You'll take your meals with me and the children.

That's your sleeping place.

Scour the pots and pans.

Young mistress and master sleep and have company here.

You'll get used to it.

You're to clean in there.

Not now.

He's painting.

FOOTSTEPS

Good morning, madam.

Don't speak till you're spoken to.

Tanneke showed you what needs to be done?

The laundry and so on?

Yes, madam.

This is only a trial.

Nothing is settled yet.

PARROT CAWS

I, um...

My husband does...

Go in.

Go in.

Disturb nothing.

Leave all just as it is.

Well, open the shutters. You can't work in the dark.

You're not the first to forget your manners

in front of his paintings.

Tell me, girl,

do you think it finished?

Three months.

Another three before he's satisfied, no doubt.

Well, get along, girl.

You're not paid to stand gawping all day.

MAN: Good to see you. TANNEKE: Are you well?

Yeah.

WOMAN: I only want trotters.

GIRL: Can't we go? Here's my man.

Paul, this is Griet, the new maid.

She'll fetch the meat now.

So, Griet, what takes your fancy?

Nothing's too good for this family.

An ox tongue and a dozen chops.

Pieter! Chops!

In the book? Again?

There you are.

This meat's not fresh.

The mistress won't like it.

Pieter!

Get the parcel on the cart.

That's better.

We'll see you again, Griet.

Yes.

WOMAN: No! Wait!

MAN: I'll take that.

Make way, now.

What is it? Bankrupt.

They've lived next door for as long as I can remember.

The shame.

Lost everything.

Watch out for young mistress.

She hates money troubles.

She'll turn spiteful at this, you mark my words.

MISTRESS VERMEER: The last time you said it was done,

you kept it another six months.

MASTER VERMEER: It will be done soon.

Oh, yes, soon. But when is soon?

Next month? Next year?

It's all the same to you, I suppose,

if your children starve, and your wife is dressed in rags.

When you sit up there and suck at your paintbrush...

You're being ridiculous. I'm going out.

No, Jan! Don't you dare leave!

TANNEKE: One year, it got so bad they had to sell some of her jewels.

You can imagine how that pleased her.

She smashed half the china.

Went to spoil one of his precious paintings.

Well, he's a temper on him, too, for all he's so quiet.

She's not set so much as a foot in his studio

from that day to this.

FOOTSTEPS

MISTRESS VERMEER GROANS

There you are. Fetch some water.

Hail, Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now...

Six babies. Why does she have to make such a racket?

WOMAN: Get on with the work. Push!

I need more rags, girl.

More rags.

MISTRESS VERMEER GROANS

WOMAN: Push! Push!

Good. That's good.

BABY CRIES

PRIEST SPEAKS IN LATIN

TANNEKE: He's lovely. Don't you like him?

Take this to the house of your master's patron

Pieter Van Ruijven.

BOATMAN: Open up, there's a lady coming in.

So, finished at last?

"Honoured guest."

It was the old woman's idea to combine

the birth feast and the viewing.

She has a tight fist.

I won't turn out for small beer and biscuits, tell her.

Me and the brat deserve a proper feast.

You have very wide eyes.

What do they call you?

- Griet. - Griet.

Griet.

Your master is a fine painter, Griet.

The finest in Delft.

He's painted me.

Perhaps that will be my epitaph.

Look at that dress.

You can almost stroke the satin.

And the wine winking through the glass.

Can you imagine yourself in such finery, Griet?

She loved it, you know.

Lace and satin pressed tight

against her plump little bubbies.

The silk, heavy on her thighs.

The gentlemen watching.

My God, she was happy.

She thought she was somebody.

All dressed up like a lady.

Green as grass, mind you.

She only worked there a few months

before Master Van Ruijven brought her over

to be painted.

Got her into that fine, red dress.

Poured wine down her like he was forcing a goose.

That dress can't have stayed on long.

She was carrying his by-blow before the paint was dry.

He thinks we don't know how to celebrate a birth, does he?

TANNEKE: Come on, keep up.

BUTCHER: Come on now, my little one. I've got a lovely apple for you.

That's not right, mistress.

The price is three guilders, I'm sure of that.

Three guilders.

Oh, thank you.

KNOCKING

Why are you here?

A nice greeting,

when I brought the meat order just for you.

Better carry it through.

Not even a smile for my pains?

SIGHS Not today.

Come on.

I'll put it in the book, then. Owed by Griet...

one smile.

Welcome, Master Van Ruijven.

Mistress Thins.

APPLAUSE

Friends and neighbours,

our honoured guest Master Van Ruijven,

not only are we gathered tonight to celebrate

the safe delivery into this world -

praise be to God -

of little Franciscus,

but also to rejoice at another birth.

A new masterpiece

from the hand of my son-in-law

Johannes Vermeer.

ALL: Ooh! APPLAUSE

Is this Indian yellow?

Distilled from the urine of sacred cows

fed only on mango leaves.

You've glazed my wife in dried piss.

LAUGHTER

It was the right colour.

VAN RUIJVEN: No stinting, eh?

MISTRESS VERMEER: I cannot bear the suspense

a moment longer, Master Van Ruijven.

Pray tell us what you think.

This is good.

The colour, perspective is true.

The illusion is perfect.

All this skill lavished on my dear Emilie.

Why...

it's almost as if...

she were thinking. LAUGHTER

And have you considered a subject

for your next commission?

We cannot expect you to give up Emilie for so long again.

Considered? It's already in hand. Didn't I tell you?

A coming fellow from Amsterdam.

Studied under Rembrandt Van Rijn,

though who hasn't these days?

A merry company

by candlelight. Candlelight being his forte.

Oh.

So, have you decided what to daub next, Jan?

Have you found inspiration up in that room of yours?

Is there another patron in Delft

with pockets as deep as mine?

I've not yet found a subject.

THUNDER

THUNDER

BABY CRIES

Yes?

About the studio, mistress.

Should I clean the windows?

You don't need to ask me about such matters.

It's just...

It may change the light.

Of course.

Wash them.

CHURCH BELL RINGS

Stay as you were.

By the window.

Drop it. >

Just...

You can go.

PRIEST: Brothers and sisters,

welcome to the house of the Lord God.

Let us lift up our hearts and voices together

to give him thanks and praise for our safe passage...

Father, Mother, this is Pieter.

Our butcher's son.

The family's butcher.

Sir, mistress, I'm glad to meet you.

So, a butcher. That's a good trade.

Griet is the hardest to please of all our customers.

Aye. She gets that from me.

There now, I forgot.

We must speak with Willem Jansson.

Griet, you go on with Pieter there.

So, Griet...

where is that smile you owe me,

when I have been so clever as to track you down?

You had nothing better to do.

When I saw you with Tanneke,

I thought you were a little Catholic girl.

He started a new painting.

There's no buyer.

He won't even let me see it.

But he's working again.

It usually takes him longer.

Ooh.

Good.

Very good.

Keep it level all the time.

VERMEER: Do you know what it is?

A camera obscura.

Look into the glass.

Here, put this on.

GASPS

You can see.

I'm sorry, sir, I'll clean it.

Don't worry about the robe.

What did you see?

I saw the painting.

But...

How did it get in there?

See this?

This is called a lens.

Beams of reflected light from that corner pass through it,

into the box, so that we can see it here.

Is it real?

It's an image.

A picture made of light.

Does the box show you what to paint?

Hmm.

It helps.

CORNELIA: You didn't get me. I got you.

MAERTGE: No. You're cheating.

Oh. Do we have to play this?

There. I got you.

No.

LISBETH: Oh, look, Cornelia.

There!

Now you're it!

Oh, look!

I've got it.

Oh, look.

Keep away. It's mine!

No, you can't have it.

I'll catch it!

VERMEER: Cornelia!

I won't tell you again.

MAERTGE: Girls, come inside.

LISBETH: Why?

Come on. Don't make a fuss. Shh.

It's dirty now.

SIGHS

MAERTGE GIGGLES

GASPS I'm sorry, sir.

Shh.

Stay.

Lead white.

From the cupboard.

Please let me see your hair.

What colour is it?

Brown.

Straight or curly?

Neither.

Long?

Very long?

No.

My mother will expect me home.

She knows where you are, Griet.

VERMEER: Are you looking at it?

Well?

Nothing's the right colour.

This is the base colour.

It gives the tone.

Shadow in the light.

And when it's dry,

I glaze over it with blue,

but thinly,

so that the black shows through.

Look, Griet.

Look at the clouds.

What colour are they?

White.

No, no. Not white.

Yellow...

Blue, and grey.

There are colours in the clouds.

Now you understand.

Thinking about your butcher boy?

Come.

This is ruby shellac.

Gum Arabic.

Wine skin.

This'll make verdigris.

Malachite.

Vermillion.

That...

Linseed oil.

Bone black.

You grind it with a muller, like this.

You try.

Twist from the shoulder.

No.

Like this.

BABY CRIES

MISTRESS VERMEER: Griet!

The child needs a draught.

My mother will not be content

until one of them dies from her meanness.

NURSE: Come on. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

You will need...

On the master's account.

Griet...

Sir?

I want you to get something for me, too.

I want some colours.

My wife need not know.

This is... too thin.

CRASH

Did you get the lapis?

You can mix the colours.

Mix the colours?

Sir, I haven't time.

Make time.

CREAKING

BABY CRIES

SNORING

GROANS

I'm coming.

MISTRESS VERMEER: Nurse, come on!

Quickly! Quick!

CORNELIA: What is it, Mama?

MAERTGE: What's going on?

Here, take him.

Go back to sleep. Go back to sleep.

VERMEER: God save me from my women folk.

ROOSTER CROWS

How much longer is the wet nurse

to be with us, mistress?

I don't know.

A month or so.

No, Cornelia. Not my pearls.

Months or more.

Why? What's it to you?

Well, she's eating us out of house and home,

for a start.

She must eat for the baby.

All I'm saying is I can't cook

twice as much, and have no sleep at all.

Tell her to be quiet, then.

If I could just go back to the cellar...

Well, you can't.

Griet has your place.

Why not move Tanneke back?

Put a mattress in the attic for Griet.

Tanneke can sleep soundly,

and Griet...

can clean the studio before she comes down in the morning.

My jewels.

You always have my jewels up there to paint.

She...

You lock up at night.

Open it in the morning.

There.

Are you satisfied, Tanneke?

Yes, mistress.

ROOSTER CROWS

Got it! I win again.

No. We're drawing.

Well, I do.

No, you don't.

No need to go to the fish market tomorrow.

Mistress wants eggs.

No...

She cannot abide the smell

when she's with child.

So soon?

As if there weren't enough mouths to feed already.

Still...

What can you do, eh?

Men.

HARPSICHORD PLAYS

(Marvellous.)

MISTRESS VERMEER: No, Jan.

GIGGLES

Why did you move the chair?

She looked trapped.

THUNDER

MISTRESS THINS: Griet!

Are you up there?

FOOTSTEPS

One of my tortoiseshell combs has gone.

She's nothing but trouble.

GRIET: Master, I did not do it.

Help me.

TANNEKE: Oh, please, sir.

Let me look for you.

MAERTGE: What's going on, Papa?

Father, don't!

Jan, what's going on?

What are you doing?

Stop it!

For heaven's sake!

You're scaring the children!

Jan, what are you doing?

Cornelia...

CORNELIA WINCES

She's dishonest.

Always sneaking around, shirking her work.

Tanneke has complained of it.

Creeping upstairs all day long.

MISTRESS THINS: My daughter is right.

There's been too much sneaking about.

I only took her out of charity.

If I thought that she'd be...

With another child due,

we'll need the extra help.

Fit in all your work,

and do not slack, or it will be the worse for you.

I shall invite Master Van Ruijven.

Johannes must have a new commission.

Get back to work.

VAN RUIJVEN: All these girls.

The boys will soon be swarming around like flies.

I tell you, if I was a few years younger...

MISTRESS THINS: A connoisseur

in everything, Master Van Ruijven.

But you should be faithful

to one mistress above all others.

Art.

Your name will surely be famed as one of the great patrons.

With your exquisite taste,

your subtle understanding of allegory and allusion.

No, no, no. Stop it, stop it, stop it.

My God, woman, you could sell sour milk to cows.

Now, what is it you want?

A group painting.

Yourself and Emilie, your lovely daughter, too.

Or...

a merry company.

Wine, a good meal on your table,

your friends all about, music, and dancing.

It's better. Better, better, better.

I'll take your bait.

The picture, several figures. A merry gathering,

but no family portrait.

And if I'm to spend tedious hours sitting,

I want something I can rest my eyes on.

I think she ought to be in the painting.

A tavern scene. It'll make a change for you.

Griet could come and serve me.

Look at her, man.

How hard is it to paint a pretty girl?

Can I have her?

Griet, there's been talk of you.

I've done nothing.

Van Ruijven's cook says you're to be painted with her master.

You'll have heard about him and the maid that was painted before?

You shouldn't believe gossip.

I don't.

I'll tell Pieter you asked after him.

Liver?

PIETER: Griet...

You've heard?

I heard.

No smoke without fire, they say.

Is that what you think?

No.

You're only a maid. What can you do?

I must get back.

Don't walk away. Listen to me.

Just remember who you are.

Don't get caught up in his world.

I am only a maid,

but I would never give in to Master Van Ruijven.

I wasn't talking about Van Ruijven.

Ah, you girl, Griet. >

Come here.

What were you doing today? I missed you.

We both did.

I hear you've been of great use

to your master, pretty Griet.

All that grinding and stirring, eh?

CHUCKLES

Master and maid.

It's a tune we all know.

And you can practise together

now that we've made our bargain, eh, Jan?

You won't forget, will you?

Good.

CHUCKLES

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

What should I...?

No. No, I've already begun a group painting.

You're not to sit with Master Van Ruijven, that much is agreed.

Thank you, sir.

I'm to paint you alone.

My daughter must not hear of this other painting

in her condition.

It's to hang in his private cabinet.

He's no fool, mind you.

And he won't be taken for one,

so don't think otherwise.

DOOR OPENS

You're a fly in his web.

We all are.

DOOR CLOSES

Tomorrow morning.

I cannot. I have work.

Find a way.

VERMEER SIGHS

The front of your cap, fold it back.

Take off your cap.

No, sir.

I cannot.

Cannot?

I will not.

I need to see your face. >

The cap covers too much.

There's some cloth in the storeroom.

BOARD CREAKS

You know, I have a mind to go up there one day and surprise him.

In the act.

But you said yourself, it's very dull.

Oh, not with Emilie.

When he's alone with some young beauty.

CHUCKLES

Have you ever noticed how he never bothers with old women?

Only the young, pretty ones.

On their own.

You'll have to wait, then.

He makes only one painting at a time.

Is that so?

MISTRESS VERMEER: Jan.

Jan...

My necklace.

Haven't you finished yet?

VERMEER: I'll be in my studio till dinner.

DOOR CLOSES

Open your mouth.

Sir?

Open your mouth.

Less.

Now, lick your lips.

Again.

Again.

RUMBLING AND CHATTER

CHILD: Got you, got you, got you!

Wear these.

Good.

Look, Griet.

The point of light in the shadow of the neck leading the eye.

WHISPERS HOARSELY Jan!

Sir...do not ask this of me.

It's needed. The composition,

it's not balanced.

I've seen you paint with no-one there.

You want me to imagine how the earring would look?

My ears are not pierced.

She'll find out.

This has to be, Griet.

See for yourself.

You looked inside me.

CHURCH BELL RINGS, BABY CRIES

(Got you.)

Now hold still.

I want to look at you.

Now, girl...

Tell me how you get on up there.

Has he found his composition?

Do you move him? Do you inspire him?

Tell me, has the master's brush unlocked the secrets of your heart?

Ripe as a plum...

still unplucked.

What's he playing at?

He made a bargain with me.

He's painting you at my pleasure.

No.

I've waited long enough.

What a great fool he is!

STRAINS

Don't...fight.

No!

MISTRESS VERMEER: Griet?

BABY CRIES

Not a word.

You'll lose your place.

He won't look at you again.

MISTRESS VERMEER: Griet!

Ah, there you are, my dear.

The, uh, the maid kept me talking

with some, uh, cock-and-bull story.

Well, girl.

What's to be done?

Master Van Ruijven wants his paintings,

and he will bear no more delay.

If he crosses Van Ruijven over this,

he will lose him.

Then what?

My daughter is out for the day.

Do it now.

You do it.

Look at me.

Now, turn your head, not your shoulders.

Look at me.

There. That's it.

COW MOOS

Don't rush away, Griet, please.

Leave the house.

Join me and Pa in the meat market.

I must get back.

I'll fetch your things. I'll send someone.

No.

Our own life, Griet.

Answering to no-one.

Marry me.

FOOTSTEPS AND INDISTINCT VOICES

MISTRESS VERMEER: It is not to be borne. I will see for myself.

No-one will stop me.

MISTRESS THINS: There is nothing to see!

You're making yourself ridiculous!

Calm, my dear.

No, I will not be calm! Am I a child?

Does no-one speak the truth to me in my own house?

By all the saints, if you would stop screaming for a moment, I can explain.

More lies?

I don't want to hear any more of your lies, Mother.

I have a right to know.

So...

No more hiding now.

Here I am.

I want to see this painting.

There's no point.

No point?

I am too stupid to look at a painting now.

She can't read!

You know that?

Sit down. You'll exhaust yourself.

Why can't I look?

It's just a commission. Gone in a few days.

You need never see it.

MISTRESS THINS: They're just paintings.

Pictures for money. They mean nothing.

Is it true she wore my pearls?

How could you?

How could you?

Show me this painting.

You'll make yourself ill.

You show me.

It's obscene.

Why don't you paint me?

Because you don't understand.

And she does?

SCREAMS

No! Get her out of here!

Get out of my house!

< SWEEPING

FOOTSTEPS RECEDE

TANNEKE: So, I've come to the right place, then.

Tanneke.

This is for you.

Subtitles by the National Captioning Institute