GIRL WITH A PIERCED EARDRUM

In Girl with a Pierced Eardrum, Banksy pays tribute to Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer's 1665 masterpiece Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Of course, in true Banksy style, there's something a little off about the piece. The pearl earring (and the entire earlobe) has been replaced with an alarm box (from ADT). The piece can been seen on a building at the Albion Dockyard in Hanover Place.

In April 2020, Girl with Pierced Eardrum has been given a mask similar to those worn by NHS staff and key workers during the crisis.

It is not known who put it on the wall.

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Girl with a Pearl Earring is an oil painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer, dated c. 1665. Going by various names over the centuries, it became known by its present title towards the end of the 20th century after the large pearl earring worn by the girl portrayed. The work has been in the collection of the Mauritshuis in The Hague since 1902 and has been the subject of various literary treatments. In 2006, the Dutch public selected it as the most beautiful painting in the Netherlands.

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