Almost identical, except for the hairstyle: The puzzle of two 17th-century paintings that experts can’t solve

A remarkable exhibition in London has brought together two paintings that are so strikingly similar, they have confused experts for decades.

“Double Vision: Vermeer” shows the paintings The Guitar Player and Lady with a Guitar. Both depict young women in intimate, domestic settings, engaging with musical instruments.

But here’s the twist: only one of them is confirmed to be one of the 37 known works created by Johannes Vermeer, the artistic genius perhaps most famously known for Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Given the identical compositions, lighting, and colour schemes, the paintings have led many to theorise they were produced around the same time, perhaps even by the same artist.

“Since the 1920s scholars have puzzled over the relationship between these two paintings, but this display does not draw conclusions, instead inviting visitors to witness the prowess of one of the greatest artists of the 17th century and respond to this question for themselves,” said English Heritage.

“It is an arresting experience to come face to face with a masterpiece”

Wendy Monkhouse, English Heritage’s senior curator at Kenwood, said: “It is an arresting experience to come face to face with a masterpiece by Vermeer, let alone to see its near doppelgänger beside it. It is a remarkable painting with wonderful details, from the painting within a painting on the wall, the table laden with books and folds of luxurious blue fabric, to the translucent pearls around the sitter’s neck which catch the light.”

“Lady with a Guitar” is on loan at the exhibition in the English capital from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This artwork was thought to be the original version from Vermeer until the Kenwood House’s version was found in 1927. CNN say that “Kenwood’s “The Guitar Player” was in considerably better condition and appeared authentic; it was quickly accepted as the prime version.”

Upon inspection of the paintings, two clear differences can be seen. The first, the hairstyle of the protagonist of the artworks: one depicts a girl with curly hair while the other has a significantly shorter cut. Also, the Kenwood painting is signed by Vermeer himself.

CNN reveal that “the research is ongoing with findings and is due to be revealed,” but one other key discovery is said to include “differences” in the first layer of paint applied to the canvas, with shades of grey and brown differentiating the two.

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The exhibition opened on September 1 and runs through January 11, 2026, marking 350 years since Vermeer’s death in 1675.

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