My favorite portrait is Woman with a Pearl, painted by
French painter, Jean Baptiste-Camille Corot who lived from
1796-1875. The painting uses oil paints on a canvas. The
dimensions are 27 1/2 x 21 1/2". Like the Mona Lisa, this
painting is also displayed in the Louvre.
This painting, like the Mona Lisa, is very realistic. Her face,
her clothes, her hair, her hands, and even the background looks very realistic. The background in this portrait looks much more real than the background in the Mona Lisa. This painting has more fine detail, and is much less dark at the bottom, so that everything is clear.
The pearl from the title, is not in a prominent spot. Instead of
near the focal point, it is on the ring on her finger. Instead of a
background like the Mona Lisa, behind the girl is a brown wall that matches the girl’s hair and her clothes. Unlike the Mona Lisa, who has what looks like, a forced smile, the Woman with a Pearl expresses her feelings and doesn’t seem to have anything to hide. The smile on this portrait is small, and like the leaves on her head, is very natural.
The focal point would probably be her face, because of the use
of light and shadow. Then up to the wreath of leaves and berries on her head, and then down her body to the ring on her finger.