Pitfalls of Overzealous Iconodiagnosis of the Girl with a Pearl Earring

The letter critiques the iconodiagnosis by Girolomoni et al. of Vermeer's "The Girl with a Pearl Earring," which suggested alopecia areata based on the absence of visible eyebrows and eyelashes, and a possible lip erosion indicating syphilis, herpes, or trauma. The critique highlights methodological flaws, such as confirmation bias and overinterpretation, and emphasizes the importance of considering the aging of paintings and cultural context. High-magnification examination and X-ray fluorescence imaging show that Vermeer did paint eyelashes, contradicting the alopecia diagnosis. The letter argues that Vermeer likely omitted details like eyebrows for stylistic reasons, reflecting 17th-century Dutch fashion trends, rather than depicting a hair loss condition.