“Girl with a Pearl Earring”—a painting, for many centuries considered one of the most famous and mysterious works of the great Dutch painter and artist of the 17th century, Jan Vermeer. It is often called the Northern or Dutch Mona Lisa. The painting’s first title was “Girl in a Turban.” But what is the riddle behind a portrait that seems simple at first glance? Perhaps it lies in the story of how it was created. Here is the story of “the Girl with the Pearl.” A timeless—and forever new—story of the Artist and his Model, the story of Creativity and Tragedy. Perhaps it wasn’t quite like that… But what difference does it make?