A Dangerous Beauty

Since watching the film, The Girl with the Pearl Earring and reading the mythical story of Cupid and Psyche there became a prevalent kinship between the two female protagonists. In the film, the fictional character Griet is a shy teenage girl living in the Dutch Republic in the 1660’s. With her father recently turning blind and unable to work she is forced to find work to support her family in their dire strait. Therefore she is sent to work as a maid in the unhappy home of the painter Johannes Vermeer. Almost immediately Griet is faced with trials as her fruitless efforts of hard work leave her in the lowest position in a harsh hierarchy, where even a child of the family treats her viciously. Similarly, Psyche was bestowed with almost impossible tasks from the goddess Venus (Aphrodite) who was jealous of Psyche’s great beauty. Some of these tasks included sorting through a variety of different seeds, gathering golden fleece from sheep, and retrieving a flask of mineral water atop a treacherous mountainside.    

Psyche

Another similarity between Griet and Psyche is they’re communal beauty and the consequences that it brings to them both. Psyche was specifically noted for surpassing her sisters’ own looks and drawing in people interested in catching only a look of her.  These things only became more copious when no man intended on marrying Psyche because he would rather pay homage to her god-like appearance. In turn, her beauty created problems of jealousy, greed, and lust from both immortals and mortals. Venus specifically felt that her followers were being taken away leaving her temples in shambles for the sake of some pretty mortal girl. Psyche’s two sisters also became envious of her when they learned of her new-found wealth and mysterious relationship with Cupid – a god.  Griet also unknowingly brings along her own sense of trouble because of her tempting beauty. She attracts the attention of the butcher’s son Pieter and the master of the household Vermeer by helping him mix paints and sitting in for a portrait. 

Likewise, Griet also receives attention from Vermeer’s rich patron Van Ruijven who asks for her to come and work in his household, a situation that left another girl’s reputation tarnished on his behalf. This negative attention climaxes to the point where Griet has to fend off Van Ruijven in his attempt to rape her. Also, just like Psyche, Griet is faced with jealousy from another character that proves to be the Vermeer’s wife Catharina. The envious tension between the two starts with Griet giving entry to Vermeer’s studio to help him with his work – access that Catharina was never granted. Catharina’s distress becomes more apparent as she realizes that a painting of Griet has been kept a secret from her and her pearl earrings used. She becomes so furious that she orders Vermeer to show her the painting and heartbroken tries unsuccessfully to destroy it. Then feeling severely betrayed Catharina banishes Griet from the house forever. 

Lastly, we see an appearance of strong archetypes through the vibrant blue and yellow scarf and earrings worn in Griet's portrait. The dark color blue proves to us the strong sense of innocence and truth that she possesses. Griet’s character is shown to be innocent by her shy nature and vulnerability to her new environment. Her innocence is also due to her modesty and refusal to show her hair in the presence of anyone including Vermeer when he asked. The yellow also symbolizes the youthfulness and silent optimism in the her personality. Such can be proven through Griet's persistence in winning the encouragement, companionship and mentoring of the master Vermeer. Lastly through the focal point of the pearl earring and the colour white the archetype of purity, peace, and goodness is expressed.