Johannes Vermeer
A glance over the shoulder, a blue and yellow turban and that single gleaming pearl: Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring is recognised all over the world. Together with The Milkmaid and View of Delft, she brings the quiet light of the Dutch Golden Age into your home. In this collection you will find premium Johannes Vermeer souvenirs of museum-shop quality: from mugs, scarves and jewellery to ceramic tiles, wall plates and stroopwafels in a beautiful tin. A stylish gift for art lovers and a timeless reminder of a visit to the Mauritshuis or the Rijksmuseum.
Johannes Vermeer souvenirs: Girl with a Pearl Earring and more
Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) lived and worked in Delft all his life. He painted slowly and with great precision, often using costly pigments such as ultramarine, made from ground lapis lazuli. As a result, fewer than forty of his paintings survive today. That rarity, and the way he lets daylight fall through a window onto a face or a whitewashed wall, is what makes his work so special: an ordinary moment, captured forever.
De Holland Winkel has been selling Dutch souvenirs and gifts since 2002. For our museum collection we deliberately choose items of a higher quality: carefully printed, beautifully packaged and ready to give as a gift. In this category you will find more than a hundred Vermeer souvenirs in one place, so they are easy to compare and combine.
Johannes Vermeer and the Girl with a Pearl Earring
Vermeer painted Girl with a Pearl Earring around 1665. It is not a portrait of a real person but a tronie: a study of a face with a striking expression or an exotic costume. Nobody knows who the girl was. That mystery, together with her parted lips and the tiny highlights in her eyes, has fascinated viewers for centuries. It is no surprise she is often called the Mona Lisa of the North.
Remarkably, the painting was almost unknown for a long time. In 1881 the collector Arnoldus des Tombe bought it at an auction in The Hague for just a few guilders, and later bequeathed it to the Mauritshuis. Since then the girl has inspired a bestselling novel by Tracy Chevalier, a feature film starring Scarlett Johansson and countless artists around the world.
Where is the Girl with a Pearl Earring?
Girl with a Pearl Earring hangs in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, right next to the Binnenhof. The museum very rarely lends her out, so as a rule you can always see her there. Travelling specially to see her? Check the Mauritshuis website before your visit. Vermeer's other famous works are spread across the Netherlands and beyond:
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Mauritshuis, The Hague
Vermeer's most famous painting and the undisputed highlight of the Mauritshuis. Small in size, enormous in presence.
View of Delft
Mauritshuis, The Hague
Vermeer's tribute to his home town, with clouds drifting over the rooftops and the water of the Schie in the foreground.
The Milkmaid
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
A kitchen maid pouring milk with quiet concentration in a sunlit room. One of the treasures of the Rijksmuseum.
The Lacemaker
Louvre, Paris
One of Vermeer's smallest paintings: a young woman completely absorbed in her lacework.
Which Vermeer souvenirs can you find here?
Coffee, tea and the kitchen
Mugs in a gift box, cups, an espresso set, tea towels, coasters, placemats and luxury napkins featuring the Girl with a Pearl Earring or The Milkmaid.
Jewellery and accessories
Pearl earrings and necklaces inspired by the famous painting, scarves, a hand fan, a pocket mirror, spectacle cases and lapel pins.
Ceramics and home decor
Tiles, wall plates, vases and glass paperweights. Lovely on the wall or a windowsill, just like in a Vermeer interior.
Stationery
Notebooks, memo boxes, bookmarks, boxed ballpoint pens and a pen shaped like a paint tube. Perfect for the office or as a small gift.
Dutch treats in a tin
Stroopwafels, traditional Dutch sweets, mints and cinnamon sticks in an elegant Vermeer tin. Once it is empty, it makes a charming keepsake box for years to come.
Christmas and small gifts
Vermeer baubles and Christmas ornaments, and for a smaller budget: fridge magnets, keyrings, postcards and jigsaw puzzles.
A premium museum souvenir as a gift
A Vermeer souvenir is more than a keepsake. It is a piece of art history you use every day: your morning coffee from a Milkmaid mug, your notes in a Girl with a Pearl Earring notebook. That makes it a gift that lasts and always tells a story.
- ✓For art lovers: a stylish present for anyone who knows and admires the Dutch Masters.
- ✓For museum visitors: a lasting memento of your day at the Mauritshuis or the Rijksmuseum.
- ✓For travellers and Dutch expats: Dutch culture in a form that is recognised everywhere.
- ✓For businesses: a distinguished corporate gift for international guests and partners.
Frequently asked questions about Vermeer and the Girl with a Pearl Earring
Where is the Girl with a Pearl Earring? +
In the Mauritshuis in The Hague. The painting is only lent out in very exceptional cases. If you are planning a visit especially to see her, check the museum's website beforehand.
Who is the Girl with a Pearl Earring? +
Nobody knows. The painting is a tronie: not a portrait of a specific person but a study of a face in an imaginary costume. People have speculated about the model for centuries, which only adds to the painting's mystery.
Where can I see Vermeer's The Milkmaid? +
The Milkmaid hangs in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, alongside other Vermeers such as The Little Street and Woman Reading a Letter.
How many paintings did Johannes Vermeer make? +
Fewer than forty surviving paintings are attributed to Vermeer, and art historians still debate a few of them. They hang in museums in cities including The Hague, Amsterdam, Paris, London, New York and Berlin.
Can I order Vermeer souvenirs as corporate gifts? +
Certainly. Looking for larger quantities for an event, a conference or as a gift for international partners? Visit our B2B page or email info@hollandwinkel.nl.
Can you send a Vermeer gift abroad? +
Yes. We ship within the Netherlands and worldwide, and we are happy to add a free card with your personal message. Would you like your gift beautifully wrapped? Choose from our gift wrapping options.
Discover more Dutch Masters
A Vermeer fan? You will also love the souvenirs of his contemporaries. Take a look at Carel Fabritius, painter of The Goldfinch, who worked in Delft just like Vermeer, or at Rembrandt. In our online shop you will find thousands of Dutch souvenirs and gifts.