And we're looking at probably their most famous painting.

而現在看到的可以說是他們最負盛名的一幅畫作。

This is Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring."

這是《戴珍珠耳環的少女》，由荷蘭畫家維梅爾所繪。

Well, I would say not just their most well-known painting, but maybe one of the most well-known paintings generally.

我覺得這不僅是這間美術館最有名的作品，它或許是全世界最廣為人知的作品之一。

-But only recently. -True.

-但到了近期它才受到眾人賞識。 -你說得沒錯。

It's a painting that really seems to have ascended in the late 20th century.

這幅畫似乎是到了 20 世紀晚期才上升到今天的地位。

And it's interesting how our society picks out certain paintings for fame and that people really fall in love with.

這現象很有趣—人類社會揀選出特定幾幅畫作，受到眾人瞻仰。

And perhaps it's because this was the centerpiece of a film.

或許是因為這幅畫曾經構成一部電影的故事主軸。

This was the centerpiece of a novel.

也曾經衍生出一本小說。

And perhaps because we know so little about the painting.

也或許是因為，我們對於這幅畫作的認識如此淺薄。

And it's interesting that this is sometimes referred to as the Dutch Mona Lisa.

值得玩味的是，這幅畫有時會跟《蒙娜麗莎》相提並論。

In both cases, we have bust-length portraits of women in rather indeterminate backgrounds.

兩幅作品畫的都是女性的半身像，背景也都相當模糊不清。

Now, we should be careful here, because this may look like a portrait to us.

有一點要特別注意，我們看起來是肖像畫。

But, in fact, it's not a portrait.

但事實上《戴珍珠耳環的少女》不是肖像畫。

The Mona Lisa is, though, for a long time her identity wasn't known.

《蒙娜麗莎》是肖像畫，雖然之前有很長一段時間她的身分未知。

Now, we are pretty confident we know who the Mona Lisa was.

現在我們已經相當肯定蒙娜麗莎的真實身分。

But, in this case, this is not a portrait.

不過這幅《戴珍珠耳環的少女》並非肖像畫。

This is known as a tronie, that is, a representation of a character, of a particular type of person.

它是幅人像描摹 (tronie)，換言之，它是對某一特定角色或人格類型的描繪。

The way that we have, for instance, in modern American situation comedies, you have the villain, you have the hero.

就像是在美國現代喜劇當中，會出現壞人角色，也會看到英雄。

You have a certain type of person.

都是對某一類型的人格描繪。

And we think this is an exotic type.

而我們認為這幅畫是「異國情調」的類型。

Because of her turban and her clothing seems foreign, and also that rather over-sized pearl earring.

因為她戴著頭巾、穿著異國風情的服飾，以及那尺寸略嫌誇張的珍珠耳環。

And the way that we see her from the side.

此外我們是從側面觀賞她。

But she turns towards us, and so there's something momentary, there's something very alluring, that we're not addressing her directly.

而她卻轉向我們，這樣的間接角度帶來一種短暫易逝，又非常勾人心魂的感受。

And it's a lot like the Mona Lisa.

這點與《蒙娜麗莎》非常相似。

In both cases, we have gazes that seem enigmatic.

兩幅畫作中都可以看到那種意味深長的微笑。

What are they thinking? Who are they?

她們在想什麼？她們是誰？

What is our relationship to her?

她與我們之間存在什麼關聯？

They're both paintings that really open up possibilities for interpretation with no one correct answer.

這幅畫作都帶來詮釋上無限的可能性，沒有標準答案。

So much so that somebody was able to produce an entire novel based on this single painting that we know so little about.

詮釋空間非常寬廣，因此有人以這幅充滿未知感的畫為基礎，寫出一整本小說。

What we do know about this painting, though, is that it's technique is really quite extraordinary.

關於這幅畫我們能夠肯定這點：它運用了非常高超的技法。

The subtlety of light is stunning.

光線的隱約變化令人大感驚訝。

In the way in which the reflectivity of the pearl is cast against the darkness of her neck.

珍珠所反射的光線投射在頸部的暗處。

The softness of her features and also the harmonies of those blues and golds.

柔和的輪廓，還有藍與金的和諧交錯。

Now, we know that Vermeer worked very slowly.

我們現在知道維梅爾慢工出細活。

Some art historians have suggested that he only produced perhaps two or three paintings a year.

有些藝術史學家指出他一年大概只產出 2、3 幅畫作。

And that his technique was really painstaking.

學者也表示維梅爾的技法一筆一畫都嘔心瀝血。

And we can see that in the care in which he's creating form out of light.

我們也可以看到他如何在光影錯落之間繪出人的樣貌。

But it's so momentary, just like we look at Dutch landscapes.

但一切都飄忽於片刻，與荷蘭地景的意象相輔相成。

And we have a sense of the passage of time as the clouds move across the landscape.

雲朵飄過了整片景色，帶來時間挪移的感受。

Here we have that same sense of a figure who's just turned her head and is about to speak with us or is about to engage us.

她正巧偏過頭來，貌似要與我們交談，或想吸引我們的注意；這樣一位角色同樣帶來了轉瞬即逝的印象。

But we don't know what about.

我們不知道她想表達什麼。

And that our eyes are just in the process of focusing on her as she meets our gaze.

而當觀眾看見這幅畫，漸漸聚焦在女孩身上，她也迎上了我們的凝視。

And so we are complicit in this moment.

也因此在那個瞬間，我們與女孩之間產生了共鳴。

And I think the subtlety of color and the subtlety of light, the intimacy here.

還有色調與光線的微妙變化、密切互動。

All of that, allows us to register this very personal moment.

這些元素加起來，讓我們在當下意識到與畫作的私人連結。

And perhaps this is why this painting is so beloved.

或許正是因為如此，這幅畫受到眾人喜愛。