Why is Vermeer's "Girl with the Pearl Earring" considered a masterpiece? - James Earle

Translator: Elda Indria Sari Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

Is she turning towards you or away from you?

Apakah ia menoleh ke arahmu atau menjauhimu?

No one can agree.

Tak ada kata sepakat.

She's the mysterious subject of Dutch master Johannes Vermeer's

Ia adalah subjek misterius pelukis ulung Belanda, Johannes Vermeer,

"Girl with the Pearl Earring,"

"Gadis dengan Anting Mutiara,"

lukisan yang sering disebut sebagai 'Mona Lisa dari Utara.'

a painting often referred to as the 'Mona Lisa of the North.'

Lukisan gaya Belanda beraliran idealis yang kadang terlalu ekspresif

Belonging to a Dutch style of idealized, sometimes overly expressive paintings

yang dikenal sebagai tronie,

known as tronies,

the "Girl with the Pearl Earring" has the allure

"Gadis dengan Anting Mutiara" memiliki daya pikat

and subtlety characteristic of Vermeer's work.

dan karakter halus khas Vermeer.

But this painting stands apart from the quiet narrative scenes

Namun lukisan ini berbeda dengan narasi sunyi

that we observe from afar in many of Vermeer's paintings.

yang kita lihat di banyak lukisan Vermeer.

Seorang gadis membaca surat.

A girl reading a letter.

A piano lesson.

Pelajaran piano.

A portrait artist at work.

Potret seniman yang sedang bekerja.

These paintings give us a sense of intimacy while retaining their distance,

Lukisan ini memberi kesan intim tetapi tetap berjarak,

sebuah tirai yang digambar kerap menekankan pemisahannya.

a drawn curtain often emphasizes the separation.

We can witness a milkmaid serenely pouring a bowl of milk,

Kita melihat seorang pemerah susu menuangkan semangkuk susu,

but that milk isn't for us.

tetapi bukan untuk kita.

Kita hanya pengamat.

We're only onlookers.

Komposisi dalam lukisan Vermeer

The studied composition in Vermeer's paintings

invokes a balanced harmony.

menciptakan keseimbangan harmoni.

With the checkered floor in many of his works,

Dengan lantai kotak-kotak di banyak karyanya,

Vermeer demonstrates his command of perspective and foreshortening.

Vermeer menunjukkan keahliannya dalam perspektif dan pemendekan.

That's a technique that uses distortion

Yaitu teknik penggunaan distorsi

to give the illusion of an object receding into the distance.

untuk memberi ilusi sebuah objek tampak mengecil di kejauhan.

Other elements, like sight lines, mirrors, and light sources

Elemen lainnya, seperti garis pandang, cermin, dan sumber cahaya

describe the moment through space and position.

menggambarkan momen tersebut lewat ruang dan posisi.

The woman reading a letter by an open window

Wanita yang membaca surat di dekat jendela terbuka

is precisely placed so the window can reflect her image back to the viewer.

diposisikan sedemikian rupa sehingga bayangannya bisa terpantul di jendela.

Vermeer would even hide the leg of an easel for the sake of composition.

Vermeer bahkan menyembunyikan kaki kuda-kuda demi komposisi.

Ketiadaan elemen-elemen tadi membuat "Gadis dengan Anting Mutiara" hidup.

The absence of these very elements brings the "Girl with the Pearl Earring" to life.

Penggunaan cahaya dan bayangan oleh Vermeer, atau chiaroscuro,

Vermeer's treatment of light and shadow, or chiaroscuro,

uses a dark, flat background to further spotlight her three-dimensionality.

menggunakan latar gelap dan datar untuk menguatkan kesan tiga dimensinya.

Instead of being like a set piece in a theatrical narrative scene,

Alih-alih menjadi bagian dari adegan narasi seni panggung,

she becomes a psychological subject.

dia menjadi subjek psikis.

Her eye contact and slightly parted lips, as if she is about to say something,

Kontak matanya dan bibir yang separuh terbuka seolah hendak mengatakan sesuatu,

draw us into her gaze.

menarik kita dalam tatapannya.

Traditional subjects of portraiture were often nobility or religious figures.

Subjek potret tradisional sering kali bangsawan atau tokoh agama.

So why was Vermeer painting an anonymous girl?

Lalu kenapa Vermeer melukis seorang gadis tanpa nama?

In the 17th century, the city of Delft, like the Netherlands in general,

Di abad ke-17, kota Delft, layaknya Belanda pada umumnya,

had turned against ruling aristocracy and the Catholic church.

telah berbalik menentang aristokrasi dan gereja Katolik.

After eight decades of rebellion against Spanish power,

Setelah pemberontakan selama delapan abad melawan Spanyol,

the Dutch came to favor the idea of self-rule and a political republic.

Belanda lebih menginginkan pemerintahan sendiri dan republik politik.

Cities like Delft were unsupervised by kings or bishops,

Kota-kota seperti Delft tidak dipimpin oleh raja atau uskup,

so many artists like Vermeer were left without traditional patrons.

jadi banyak seniman seperti Vermeer tidak memiliki pelanggan tetap.

Fortunately, business innovation

Untungnya, inovasi bisnis

spearheaded by the Dutch East India Company

yang dipelopori Perusahaan Hindia Timur Belanda (VOC)

transformed the economic landscape in the Netherlands.

mengubah kultur ekonomi di Belanda.

It created a merchant class and new type of patron.

Inovasi tersebut menciptakan golongan pedagang dan pelanggan baru.

Wishing to be represented in the paintings they financed,

Karena ingin digambarkan dalam lukisan yang mereka biayai,

these merchants preferred middle class subjects

para pedagang memilih subjek dari kelas menengah

depicted in spaces that looked like their own homes

digambar dalam ruangan yang mirip seperti rumah mereka sendiri

surrounded by familiar objects.

dikelilingi benda-benda yang sudah dikenal.

The maps that appear in Vermeer's paintings, for example,

Peta yang muncul dalam lukisan Vermeer, contohnya,

were considered fashionable and worldly

dianggap modis dan duniawi

by the merchant class of what is known as the Dutch Golden Age.

oleh golongan pedagang dari Zaman Keemasan Belanda.

The oriental turban worn by the "Girl with the Pearl Earring"

Serban oriental yang dikenakan "Gadis dengan Anting Mutiara",

also emphasizes the worldliness of the merchant class,

juga menekankan sisi keduniawian golongan pedagang,

and the pearl itself, a symbol of wealth, is actually an exaggeration.

dan mutiara yang menjadi simbol kekayaan, sebenarnya dilebih-lebihkan.

Vermeer couldn't have afforded a real pearl of its size.

Vermeer tak mungkin bisa membeli mutiara sebesar itu.

It was likely just a glass or tin drop varnished to look like a pearl.

Anting itu mungkin hanya kaca atau timah yang dipernis agar mirip mutiara.

This mirage of wealth is mirrored in the painting itself.

Ilusi kekayaan ini dicerminkan dalam lukisan itu sendiri.

In greater context, the pearl appears round and heavy,

Dalam konteks lebih luas, mutiara itu kelihatan bulat dan berat,

but a detailed view shows that it's just a floating smudge of paint.

tetapi gambar detail menunjukkan anting itu tak lebih dari noda cat.

Upon close inspection, we are reminded of Vermeer's power as an illusion maker.

Jika dilihat lebih dekat, kita teringat akan kemampuan ilusi Vermeer.

While we may never know the real identity of the "Girl with the Pearl Earring,"

Walau kita tak akan pernah tahu identitas "Gadis dengan Anting Mutiara",

we can engage with her portrait in a way that is unforgettable.

kita bisa menikmati potretnya dengan cara yang tak terlupakan.

As she hangs in her permanent home in the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague,

Saat ia tergantung di rumah abadinya di Museum Mauritshuis di Hague,

her presence is simultaneously penetrating and subtle.

kehadirannya tajam sekaligus halus.

In her enigmatic way, she represents the birth of a modern perspective

Secara misterius, ia menggambarkan lahirnya perspektif modern

on economics, politics, and love.

ekonomi, politik, dan cinta.