Girl with a Pearl Earring: Supporting ‘Close Reading’ of Art in a Digital Library

Abstract

High resolution digitation of paintings such as Veneer's Girl with a Pearl Earring or Rembrandt's Night Watch suggests new ways of engagement with the piece of art itself from diverse perspectives: emotional, historic, technical. Comments in different blogs and web articles from amateur art enthusiasts spark ideas around novel interactions and involvement with a digital reproduction. We look to these sources as inspiration in to support users of an image collection in interacting with a single image, with each other, and possibly the artist as well.