The focal point of the painting, as the name suggests, is the pearl earring. Many of the women Vermeer painted are associated with pearls, as eleven other pearls of this kind appear in his works. A strength of the painting is its use of light, illuminating the girls face and highlighting the earring, In 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' however, it is evident that all of the artist's focus is on the girl and of course, her earring. It has been noted that turbans were a popular fashion accessory as far back as the 15 th century, and other aspects of the east are also present in some of Vermeer's other works.