A Pokémon fan artist honored Holland’s Artistic Golden Age by redrawing Meowth in the style of one of its icons.

The aforementioned artist, who goes by @guli_cina on Twitter, recently showcased Meowth artwork inspired by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s classic portrait, “Girl With a Pearl Earring.” Like the painting’s subject, Meowth dons a blue headdress and large pearl earrings. The Pokémon also sports a prominent, open-mouth grin, a stylistic deviation from the stoic expression portrayed by its counterpart. “Meowth with a Pearl Earring” is one of several examples of Meowth-centric fanart found on the artists’ Twitter.

The Artist Behind A Girl With a Pearl Earring

Born in 1632, Johannes Vermeer is one of the most famous artists of Holland’s Golden Age, which lasted from 1588 to 1672. Although relatively obscure during his lifetime, Vermeer is now highly revered for his unique, often delicate use of light in his paintings. This technique is evident in several of his most well-known works, including “Woman With a Water Jug” (1660-1662), “The Art of Painting (1666-1668), and, of course, “Girl With a Pearl Earring (1665). The latter portrait is known as a “tronie,” distinguished from other genres by depicting exaggerated facial expressions.

Unlike Vermeer, Meowth hails from Japan. Born from the nation’s internationally popular Pokémon franchise, the iconic feline was introduced in the series’ debut generation, which began with Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green in 1996. These games were later released as Pokémon Red and Blue in North America. However, Meowth is perhaps best known for its role in the Pokémon anime, serving as a fellow member of Team Rocket alongside Jessie and James. The iconic trio has been a main staple of the series since Season 1, often concocting elaborate schemes to steal Ash’s Pikachu.

While Meowth and Team Rocket have existed in Pokémon since the beginning, fans had to bid farewell to the beloved group when Pokémon announced that Ash was departing from the main series. Pokémon Horizons, which premiered in April, is instead chronicling the adventures of two brand-new trainers, Liko and Roy. Before Horizons’ debut, the fanbase collectively took to social media to mourn. Kiana Mai, a Pokémon fan who works as a storyboard artist for Big City Greens, even created a poignant fan video in which Meowth, Jessie and James bid tearful farewells to Ash and Pikachu.

Pokémon Journeys and its follow-up seasons are available to stream on Netflix. Other seasons of the Pokémon anime are available via Prime Video.

Source: Twitter