The Smiling Girl
circa 1925 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This is a 20th-century pastiche or imitation of a Vermeer-style portrait, depicting a young woman with an anachronistic smile. It follows the composition of 17th-century Dutch tronie paintings.
Did you know?
This painting is famously known as a mid-20th-century forgery created to mimic the style of the Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer. It gained significant attention when it was exposed as a modern imitation, highlighting the historical fascination with Vermeer's limited body of work and the ease with which his style could be mimicked by skilled forgers of the era.
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The Smiling Girl
Johannes Vermeer, circa 1925
