Girl with a Pearl Earring: Vermeer in Haarlem

Couldn’t get tickets to see Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam? Don’t worry. You can see Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, in the form of street art, right here in Haarlem. She is hidden away in one of Haarlem’s beautiful little streets.

Where is she?

Unlike many works of street art, Girl with a Pearl Earring isn’t a large piece so you have to look for it. You can find her in Kokstraat, gracefully placed on what could have been a small window at some point, recessed in a red brick wall between the houses.

I like this interpretation of Girl with a Pearl Earring because it makes what is considered “high art” accessible, relevant and fun.

Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of Vermeer’s most well-known works. She is at the Rijksmuseum until 30 March as part of the Vermeer exhibition. This exhibition is sold out but after 30 March she will be back in the Mauritshuis museum in Den Haag. Until then, head over to Kokstraat to see her and explore this beautiful area of Haarlem.

More to see and do near Kokstraat

Until 30 September you can see the Surreal Science exhibition at the Teylers Museum. Highly recommended! Have something to eat at one (or more!) of Haarlem’s fabulous terraces on the Spaarne River. Savour French crêpes and galettes at Crêpe Boutique Ti Bisou in the Vijfhoek. Visit Bij Babette, Haarlem’s only English tearoom.

Where is Kokstraat?

Kokstraat is wedged between the Bakenessergracht and the Spaarne River.

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