Girl with a Pierced Eardrum
Works by Banksy
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Girl with a Pierced Eardrum is a 2014 mural by anonymous street artist Banksy, on the wall of a building in Hanover Place, Spike Island, Bristol, England. Appearing overnight on 20 October 2014, it is a parody of Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665 by Johannes Vermeer, instead replacing the pearl earring with an existing security alarm.[3]
| Girl with a Pierced Eardrum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Banksy |
| Completion date | 20 October 2014 |
| Type | Mural |
| Medium | Stencil graffiti |
| Movement | Street art |
| Subject | Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer |
| Condition | Partially defaced |
| Location | Albion Dockyard, Hanover Place, Spike Island, Bristol, England[1] |
| Coordinates | 51.447672°N 2.609816°W |
| Preceded by | Mobile Lovers (2014)[2] |
| Followed by | The Son of a Migrant from Syria (2015) |
The mural was partially defaced with black paint two days after it first appeared, on 22 October 2014.[4][5]
Description
Girl with a Pierced Eardrum is at the end of a small alley on a building in Albion Dockyard in Hanover Place, Bristol.[6] It is stencilled graffiti and depicts an enlarged version of part of Girl with a Pearl Earring, a c. 1665 oil-on-canvas painting by Johannes Vermeer. It is on a wall, positioned so that an existing yellow security alarm replaces the pearl earring.[7]
It appeared overnight on 20 October 2014, with Banksy announcing the artwork on their website on the same day.[8] Two days later, the mural was vandalised and partially defaced with black paint, above and to the left of the mural.[4][5] No culprit has ever been identified.
2020 masking
In April 2020, a fabric face mask appeared on the wall, covering the face of the Girl in the mural. This referred to the masks worn by healthcare staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] It was not known exactly when the mask was installed,[10] or who installed it. The BBC reportedly contacted Banksy at the time of the mask installation for comment.[11]